Fawlty Towers 3.0 Recipe

Chill glass

Place a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while preparing the cocktail.

If you don't have fennel-infused vodka ready: combine 250 ml vodka with 2–3 thin fennel fronds (or 1 teaspoon fennel seed lightly crushed) in a sealed jar, steep 6–12 hours at room temperature, then strain. Use chilled.

Muddle basil

In a cocktail shaker, place the 6 basil leaves and 0.5 oz simple syrup. Gently press and twist the leaves with a muddler or the back of a spoon for 6–8 seconds to release oils without shredding them — you want aromatic oil, not bitter green bits.

Add spirits and citrus

Add 1.5 oz Hendrick's Oasium Gin, 0.75 oz fennel-infused Nat Kidder vodka, 0.5 oz Tempus Fugit Quinquina, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, and 2 dashes celery bitters to the shaker.

Dry shake

Raise the shaker without ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds. This helps integrate the basil oil and emulsify the citrus for a silky texture.

Wet shake

Add a large handful of ice to the shaker and shake hard for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is very cold and well-chilled.

Double strain

Remove the chilled glass from freezer. Double-strain the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora to catch basil bits and any small ice shards.

Add ice (optional)

If serving in a rocks glass, place the large ice cube in the glass and pour the cocktail over it instead of using a coupe.

Garnish

Express the lemon twist over the cocktail to release oils, wipe the rim with the twist, and drop it in. Float a thin fennel frond or a small basil sprig on the surface for aroma.

Serve immediately and advise guests to inhale the herbaceous garnish before sipping to appreciate the layered aromatics of fennel, basil, quinquina and celery bitters.