Invidia Verde Recipe
Homemade organic basil and lime liqueur, Uncle Val’s Botanical gin, organic lemon/lime juice and simple syrup. Served up with lime wheel.
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Homemade Basil-Lime Liqueur (makes ~12 oz)
Method
Homemade Basil-Lime Liqueur (Invidia Verde)
Prepare basil and zest
Rinse the basil and pat dry thoroughly so there is minimal water. Lightly bruise the basil leaves by gently clapping them between your hands or bruising with a wooden muddler to release oils. Zest 2 limes with a microplane, avoiding white pith.
Infuse spirit
Place the bruised basil and lime zest in a clean, airtight 16–20 oz glass jar. Pour 12 oz of neutral spirit (vodka) over the solids, making sure they are fully submerged. Seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place for 48 hours, shaking gently once or twice a day. Taste after 24 hours — basil should be fragrant but not vegetal; if it tastes grassy, strain earlier.
Make simple syrup
Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Combine and finish
Strain the basil-lime infused spirit through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container to remove solids. Press gently on the solids to extract liquid but avoid forcing bitter compounds. When the syrup is cool, mix 1 cup of infused spirit with the cooled simple syrup and add 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust: if too strong, add more syrup; if too sweet, add a splash more lime juice. Bottle and refrigerate. The liqueur will keep refrigerated for 2–4 weeks.
Cocktail Preparation
Chill: Place a Martini or coupe glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you build the cocktail.
Measure and build: In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz Uncle Val’s Botanical gin, 1 oz basil-lime liqueur (Invidia Verde), 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice, and 0.5 oz simple syrup (1:1).
Add ice and shake: Add enough ice to nearly fill the shaker (about 4 oz by volume). Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is well chilled and slightly frosted.
Double-strain and serve: Dump the ice or water from the chilled glass. Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or Martini glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove small ice chips and any herb bits.
Garnish: Float or place a lime wheel on the rim or gently on the surface of the drink. Serve immediately.