Emerald
GIMLET

MAKES 1 or 4 COCKTAILS

Makes 4 cocktails

The Emerald Gimlet looks like something the Wizard of Oz might order and drink down in a couple of gulps. Bright green from a muddle of fresh basil and lime juice, it is equally suited for a sophisticated nighttime soiree and a casual backyard summer cookout.

5 large basil leaves

¾ ounce fresh lime juice

2 ounces vodka

¼ ounce Lemon Simple Syrup (here)

Dried lime chip (see here) or lime wheel, for garnish

Muddle the basil and lime juice together well in a cocktail shaker, extracting as much green basil juice as reasonably possible. Add ice, and pour in the vodka and lemon syrup. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Float a lime chip on the cocktail surface and serve.

Party-Sized Emerald Gimlet: It is best to serve this cocktail within an hour of making, before the basil oxidizes. Pulse 20 large basil leaves and 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) fresh lime juice in a blender to just crush the basil. Add 8 ounces (1 cup) vodka and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon syrup and pulse to combine. Strain the vodka mixture through a fine wire sieve into a small pitcher, discarding the solids. (The mixture can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 1 hour.) For each drink, pour about 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) of the vodka mixture into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime chip.

BAR ESSENTIALS

Of course, any die-hard whiskey or tequila drinker wants his or her standard drink, so I always stock a bar for people to help themselves in addition to serving my specialty drinks. To be sure that you have all of your options covered, where appropriate I give recipes for both single servings and larger batches. But some drinks, such as punches and sangrias, are always best served in one large portion to accommodate your entire party. (Having a second batch waiting in the fridge is never a bad idea either.)

Great cocktails do require a few inexpensive tools. First, the best bartenders always measure their ingredients for reliable results. For accurate measuring, use a jigger, a small cup with markings for fluid ounces, the standard measurement for making cocktails. (A jigger is also the name of the outdated measurement used to make cocktails—one jigger equaled 1½ ounces or 3 tablespoons. No bartender I know uses that term anymore, although you will still find 1½-ounce-capacity metal jiggers for sale.) For some large-batch recipes, you’ll need a transparent liquid measuring cup. (For your convenience, I also give the larger measurements in cups so you won’t have to do any math. Use your jigger for the smaller amounts.)

A cocktail shaker (aka cobbler shaker) is used to mix “straight up” cocktails, the ones served chilled and not over ice. This shaker has a perforated lid so you won’t have to purchase separate strainers to keep the ice cubes at bay when pouring out the drink. The average home bartender with limited bar space will prefer this kind of shaker to the large Boston shaker, comprised of a large mixing glass and even larger metal container that acts as the lid during shaking. Yes, it is the professional’s favorite shaker, but it takes some practice to learn how to use it, and a cobbler shaker is a no-brainer right out of the box. A Boston shaker also uses either the perforated julep strainer or the spring-lined Hawthorne strainer to top the mixing glass when pouring a drink into the glass. But my recommendation is to get a cobbler shaker and be done with it!

Other cocktails are stirred because shaking makes them foamy. A metal long-handled bar spoon is optional (as an iced-tea spoon would work just as well), but it’s sometimes good to have one stashed at the bar, easy to find when you need it.

Some cocktails get extra flavor from fruit, herbs, or other ingredients muddled (that is, crushed) into the shaker glass. Sure, you can use a long-handled spoon, but a blunt-nosed muddler is much more efficient. There are many models, but the heavier, wider ones are best. When making a large batch of drinks, a blender works well too, but take care to crush the solid ingredients without pulverizing them.