Cucumber Basil Martini

This easy-drinking cocktail from renowned chef and restauranteur Laurent Tourondel consists of gin, fresh lime juice, ginger, cucumber, and basil. Essentially a fusion between a Mojito and a classic Gimlet but in the style of a Martini, it balances botanical ingredients with both cool and spicy elements to make a crowd-pleasing combination.

Tourondel has been a mainstay in the culinary world for more than 40 years, having spent time helming eateries such as Cello, the French restaurant and former darling of New York City’s dining scene that operated from 1999–2002. In the following years, he pivoted to launch new venues under his BLT collection of restaurants which aimed to provide a more accessible take on fine dining concepts. 

While Tourodel’s portfolio currently comprises eight restaurants that include popular mainstays like L’Amico in New York City and LT Steak & Seafood in Miami, it also includes Back Bar, a cozy craft cocktail lounge recently opened on the ground floor of Hotel Eventi in Manhattan. 

Back Bar has quickly become known for its quality drinks (and affordable cocktails that start at $12). The bar has also created an event series that aims to pay homage to the global drinks scene, hosting bar icons such as Rainbow Room luminary Dale DeGroff, Barcelona’s Two Schmucks, and Meaghan Dorman of Dear Irving and Raines Law Room. The concept showcases Tourondel’s continued dedication to furthering drinks culture and offering top-tier cocktails.

Why the Cucumber Basil Martini Works

The Cucumber Basil Martini demonstrates concepts that have guided Tourondel’s restaurants, namely an aim to find the intersection of approachability and quality.

Fresh ingredients are key here, as each works to accentuate the gin’s botanicals in different ways. The drink is made using a classic sour cocktail template — meaning a base spirit combined with sweet and sour elements, usually in the form of sugar and citrus — modified with herbal and vegetal accents. 

Fresh basil adds aromatics that come through more heavily on the nose than in the cocktail itself, complementing the gin’s juniper-forward notes. Ginger and cucumber then come together, balancing each other to create an effect that’s both spicy and cooling, without either overpowering the drink.

What you get is a drink that offers a bit of complexity but doesn’t require excessive effort to create or drink. A handful of staples from the supermarket produce section and some light muddling are all you need to create a unique gin cocktail that’s sure to please. — Dylan Garret