Gin Basil Smash

Steps

1. 1
   Use a genuinely large handful of basil — a few leaves will not register.
2. 2
   Muddle the basil in the shaker with the sugar syrup and lemon juice. Press firmly but briefly: bruise the leaves to release the oils, do not grind them, which turns the drink bitter and grassy.
3. 3
   Add the gin and fill with ice.
4. 4
   Shake hard for 10 seconds.
5. 5
   Double strain through a fine sieve into a rocks glass over fresh ice, to catch every fragment of leaf.
6. 6
   Garnish with a basil sprig slapped once between the palms.
7. 7
   Serve immediately; the vivid green oxidises within about ten minutes.