While I tend to be a foodie, my drinks are actually quite boring. I could live on iced tea and water and be perfectly content. When I talked to my husband about creating a recipe with Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices, my mind immediately went to food, while his went to drinks! Since I really wanted to see how versatile these fresh, packaged herbs and spices are, I tried their Chimichurri recipe and the hubby created an incredible Basil Ginger Frozen Lemonade Cocktail.
We love frozen drinks, particularly on warm summer days. Traditionally, those drinks are always fruity and sweet, but in more sophisticated establishments, herbs and spices are used to create varied flavor profiles. Utilizing Gourmet Garden’s Basil Paste, he created a sweet-savory drink that can easily be enjoyed by the pool or with a fresh summer meal.
- 2 inches of fresh ginger sliced
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup Vodka optional
- 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden Basil Paste
- Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Dash of sea salt
- Fresh mint leaves
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Boil Ginger in water for 5 minutes
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Remove from heat and discard Ginger slices
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Add sugar and dissolve
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Add Lemon Juice and Vodka
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Add Gourmet Garden Basil Paste
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Whisk to combine
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Pour into Ice Cream machine and churn until slushy
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Sugar lemon peel and freeze until ready to use
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Stir together 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a dash of Sea Salt
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Coat the rim of a martini glass in lemon juice and dip in sugar/salt mixture
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Carefully Scoop frozen drink into glass
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Garnish with sliced lemon, lemon peel and mint leaves
I tasted the “virgin” variety of this drink and it was absolutely refreshing with a perfect blend of sweet and savory (almost tart) flavors. The basil surprisingly complimented the drink nicely and adds a Mediterranean flair.
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This sounds perfectly refreshing for summer. Yum!
What an interesting combination of ingredients! That sounds pretty awesome!
Yum! I love any drink involving ginger! That basil paste is pretty interesting too, awesome idea for Chimichurri!
I am going to try this, but without the vodka. Let’s just say I am allergic. I love all these ingredients, it should make for a delicious drink. What do you think about cilantro instead of basil?
Mitchy
My drinks seem to be pretty boring too. I normally just drink water but when I do want something else, I am usually craving ice cold Green Tea.
This recipe sound refreshing for a hot day. 🙂
Yum! I’ll have to go vodka free,too, but that sounds soo good!
Looks delish! I love basil but have never had it in a drink. I must try this!!
This looks so refreshing. Love the twist on Lemonade! 🙂
The vodka should never be optional. 😉