It’s ALIVE! My Thai basil plant that is. And it’s nothing short of a miracle. My friend Kayla’s boyfriend, Anthony, generously gifted me this potted herb back in early summer and somehow I’ve managed to keep it alive, against all odds.
I’m not exactly a green thumb, but after some initial trials and tribulations, like not realizing the metal pot housing the little herb had holes in the bottom and i was watering the wood floors in my condo as often as I was watering the plant, I feel like Thai basil and I are really hitting our stride.
My condo faces north and has a long and narrow layout – with the kitchen (sadly) farthest from the windows. I’ve come to learn that my herb friend requires lots of sunlight, which I realized after leaving her on my media console, in the middle of the condo, for too many days and finding her a bit shrivelled. As a result, whenever I’m not entertaining, I keep her bright green leaves in full sunlight on the floor against the windows.
In case you haven’t heard, plants are the new pets and millennials are turning their sardine-can-sized apartments into indoor jungles, filled wall-to-wall with succulents, snake plants, monstera plants, and English ivy.
I’m not quite there yet, as you may have guessed. I tend to agonize over all my home decor choices for months before I finally invest in something. For instance, I’ve been living in my condo for 13 months and I just ordered bedside lamps last week.
My bedroom has no light fixtures whatsoever, so getting dressed in the morning in February is a bit of a guessing game. But I wanted to be absolutely POSITIVE that I had sourced the best possible fixture to complete my space.
That being said, I’m on a big push to get my house exactly as I want it to be at the moment. I bought a couple of new ceiling lights for the living room and entryway and purchased a desk to sit in that north-facing window. Once I have the desk, I plan to invest in a bit more greenery that will enjoy a place of prominence on said desk and help brighten up my space.
I’m pleased to have finally found a higher purpose for my Thai basil plant – than just testing my skills as a plant parent – in this Thai Basil Gin Gimlet. The cocktail is a bright, green, and fresh as the plant itself.
I’ve amped up the lime flavour with the use of this lime and pepper syrup by Les Charlatans. The cocktail has a bracing acidity that is well-matched to the bold juniper quality of Sipsmith London Dry Gin. Perfect for the citrus loving cocktail consumer.
Cheers and wish me luck on my future plant parenting as my family of herbs and greenery continues to grow….or maybe I should just get fake plants?
Thai Basil Gin Gimlet
- 2 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¼ oz lemon juice
- ¾ oz Les Charlatans Lime and Pepper Syrup
- 4 Thai basil leaves
- 1 Thai basil leaf, for garnish
-
Shake all the ingredients with ice, then double strain into a coupe. Garnish with one or two Thai basil leaves.
Hi Yvonne,
This drink will be delicious. Thank you for sharing.