We make and order Thai food a lot. Like a lot a lot. So, it was about time we made a cocktail pairing to make a night in a bit more special.
We knew we wanted to incorporate classic Thai flavours like lime, lemongrass, Thai basil and red chilies. Our first thought was to reach for the coconut milk and build from there, but given we often order a coconut milk-heavy curry, we decided to take a basic vodka soda and infuse it with our Thai ingredients instead. The result? Our Thai Basil Smash. This cocktail is fresh, citrusy and equal parts sweet and spicy. It’s the perfect pairing with Thai food, trust us.
The flavours are all incorporated into the simple syrup, which makes this drink super easy to make. Literally just throw everything in a pot with sugar and water, bring it to a boil and simmer it for ten minutes. And the best part is you can make a big batch and keep it on hand in the fridge for a couple weeks to make this drink again and again.
The flavours are subtle but distinct and the red chilies give it some heat on the backend that we are here for.
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz lemongrass chili syrup (recipe below)
- Juice of half a lime
- Two stems of Thai basil leaves
- Sparkling water, we used lime flavoured Bubly
Lemongrass Chili Simple Syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped
- 2 red chilis, chopped
1. Start with the simple syrup. Add all ingredients to a small pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, cool, strain.
2. Add the vodka, simple syrup, lime juice and Thai basil to a cocktail shaker and muddle.
3. Add ice, shake.
4. Strain mixture into a rocks glade with ice. Top with soda.
5. Garnish with lime wheels and Thai basil stem.
