basil + vodka = a new drink
Basil, one of my all-time favorite herbs, has become the drink flavor du jour. Both Citizen Cake and Nopa have basil-themed gimlets on their cocktail menus, and I have a feeling that I'll find a similar theme in Seattle. I suspect that basil has begun to replace ginger, and in two years, I'll notice that lemon thyme will have migrated into use (although it's worth pointing out that De Kas has already figured this out, adding a sprig of lemon thyme to a flute of champagne).
Last night, I tried my best to emulate Cake's basil gimlet, muddling the green with a bit of sugar, adding vodka and lime juice. I used Ketel One, they use Chopin, and while my drink was excellent, I think that a better quality vodka would also improve what is already very tasty. I would have used the Hangar One that Carrie ferried me from California, but decided no when I noticed that it is mandarin-flavored, which probably wouldn't go as well with the basil (but will make an excellent cosmo). About halfway through the drink, I remembered that Gabe gave me a bottle of high-end Polish vodka, so next chance, I'll dig that bad boy out from the back of the freezer and see how the drink turns out.
By the way, I was craving noodles and made pad thai last night, which I accompanied with a glass of pinot grigio. The Cooks Illustrated recipe outshames almost all restaurant pad thai. Not difficult to make and thankfully, not tasting of overly sweet candy, but rather nuanced and clean flavors that we expect in Thai food.