Plantation

* 4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1 ounce gin
* 1/2 ounce Cointreau
* 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
* 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
* Club soda

Muddle the basil and sugar in the bottom of a mixing glass to make a paste. Fill the glass with ice, then add the gin, Cointreau, lime juice, and grapefruit juice. Cover, shake until cold, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, preferably through a fine-mesh sieve. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and a basil leaf. Optionally top with club soda.

Plantation cocktail in progress

If you don’t like gin, this cocktail may help you acquire a taste for it. I made this with fresh basil from one of our plants, and the grapefruit juice you see in the bottle was pre-squeezed earlier in the day for the next few days’ breakfasts (and cocktails).

Recipe from The Art of the Bar.