Basil Devil

"So, I get the orange and the grapefruit," she says, "but the avocado?"

"It's for a margarita," I tell the woman drinking a Jack and Diet. "It's avocado, jalapeno, and honey."

I love that someone has picked up on the subtleties---that just by leaving something interesting out on the bar, a conversation is born, as is a new cocktail!

The jalapeno part catches the attention of one of my regulars sitting next to her. Unfortunately no peppers in house and so I create the following for him (still a work in progress):

Basil Devil

rim a rocks glass with lime and sugar

muddle a healthy pinch of micro basil with 2-3 wedges of lime

2-4 dashes of Chipotle Tabasco and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

shake with:

2 1/2 oz light rum

1 oz. honey syrup (made with equal parts boiling water and honey)

you can serve right from the shaker or strain depending on your preference

top with a splash of soda water