Aam & Basil Smash Summer Cocktail

Recipe Makes 2 Drinks

Tools Needed:

• Muddler
• Cocktail Shaker
• Strainer
• Shot Glass
• Citrus Reamer

Part 1: Aam Nom Nom Simple Syrup Recipe

Recipe makes ½ cup Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Aam Nom Nom
• 1 cup Water

Recipe:

1. Bring water to a boil 
2. Take boiling water and add ½ cup to a liquid measuring cup
3. Add in Aam Nom Nom and Sugar
4. Stir with a spoon until sugar is dissolved
5. Set a timer for 2 minutes
6. Once timer goes off, strain mixture into a bottle or cup for later use
7. You can save or dispose of the remaining tea (I saved it and used it in the Aam & Basil Smash)

Part 2: Aam & Basil Smash Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1 x Lemon
• 22 x Basil Leaves (save two as garnishes)
• 2 oz x Aam Nom Nom Simple Syrup (recipe above)
• 4 oz of Gin (I used Freeland Spirits Freeland Gin)
• 2 oz of Triple Sec (I used Cointreau)
• Ice cubes

Recipe:

1. Remove basil from stems (if applicable)
2. Wash and dry basil leaves
3. Add basil (and steeped Aam Nom Nom blend from simple syrup recipe, not necessary but I found integral to getting the full Aam flavor) to cocktail shaker
4. Muddle basil (and tea) until it’s smashed and leaves look wilted
5. Slice lemon in half and ream both halves of the lemon into shaker (no need to worry about seeds, these will get strained out later)
6. Add Gin, Triple Sec, Syrup, and a few cubes of ice to shaker
7. Add lid to cocktail shaker and shake for 1 minute
8. Add 2 ice cubes to each glass
9. Pour cocktail through a fine strainer and distribute evenly between glasses
10. Garnish with a small basil leaf and enjoy!

Notes for making larger batches: 

Since the Aam Nom Nom Simple Syrup Recipe will be made ahead of time, causing it to be difficult to muddle the tea with the basil, we also recommend making a concentrated version of the Aam Nom Nom tea to add to the drink to give it the full mango flavor. 

Simply double the tea ratio to the amount of water. ie: the recipe calls for 1 tbsp to every 8oz of water, instead add 2 tbsps to 8oz of water, then continue to follow the instructions on the bag. Once this concentrate is created, you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days. 

When making each drink, we recommend adding 4 oz of Aam Nom Nom concentrate to the above recipe (which creates two cocktails).