Basil, the King of Herbs

Our gin philosophy is rooted in creating a totally balanced experience, touching on six key flavors of our tasting profile. With traditional botanicals and herbs like juniper, citrus peel, and rose petal, we needed something to fulfill the herbal portion of the wheel, and counterbalance the potentially overpowering fruity and floral notes. Enter: Basil. While one of the less traditional herbs found in gin-making, its pleasantly herbaceous flavor is one of the key components in making the smooth mouthfeel of Scottish Kings. 

Serendipitously, basil’s proper name is derived from the Latin word Basilius which means “kingly or royal”. While its history is indeed intertwined in noble uses, from embalming royalty in ancient Egypt, to making perfumes for the French court, it is likely that Robert the Bruce would have been displeased to know of its inclusion in Scottish Kings. In a belief that defies all modern logic, many physicians of his time believed that a mere whiff of basil could actually cause scorpions to grow in the brain. This theory can be traced back to the writings of an English physician’s observations while traveling in Italy. It was here he observed if basil was placed under a stone in a moist place, a scorpion would be appear in two days’ time. Why the physician was placing basil under stones remains unclear. We do know that science has evolved, proving the scorpion theory to be untrue and helping to restore basil’s reputation as the ubiquitous and versatile herb it is today.

The Gin Basil Smash is one of our favorite ways to incorporate basil in a cocktail, which is essentially a modified Gin Gimlet. To make one, follow our gimlet recipe, and a step at the beginning by muddling 4 leaves in the shaker, saving one leaf as a garnish.