Boozy Bites: Basil & Lemon Nectar Martinis

Each holiday season, a small group of my friends and I get together for a special dinner at a restaurant in NYC. We figure that - rather than putting each other through the torture stress that comes along with buying gifts - it's better to spend some quality time with each other over some great bites. Plus, it's always nice to unwind and take a minute to appreciate your girls during the whirlwind holiday season!

This year we went to a restaurant on the Lower East Side called Beauty & Essex. Although the food was delish, the drinks completely stole the show! Dare I say it... The cocktail I ordered may have been the best drink I've had in my career (yes, I just referred to it as a drinking 'career'). My drink of choice was their Emerald Gimlet, an enticing combination of Grey Goose, basil, lemon nectar and fresh lime. Thank goodness the drinks cost $14 each, otherwise the ladies would've been rolling me out the door at the end of the night.

This recipe is a 'copycat' of the Emerald Gimlet. I'm promise that it's delicious, quite strong AND it won't cost you $14 dollars to make!



Cheers to Beta's first Boozy Bite!

Basil & Lemon Nectar Martini

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 Cocktails

• 1 cup basil, packed
• 1/2 cup organic blue agave (light)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 lemons (for oven-dried lemon garnish), optional

DIRECTIONS

1. If you're going to be garnishing your martinis with the oven dried lemons seen in the photo above, it can be done ahead of time by following Martha Stewart's recipe here. You're just replacing the 1 orange with 2 lemons. Keep in mind, this takes 2.5 hours and they need to be completely cooled before serving! 
2. To begin making the martinis, put your basil and agave in a blender. Puree until smooth and set aside. 
3. Follow this recipe on honey.com to make your lemon nectar. Halving the recipe will give you enough nectar for 8 martinis. 
4. To make your first two martinis, add 1 tablespoon of your basil mixture and 1 tablespoons of your lemon nectar to a cocktail shaker. Then add 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice and 4 ounces of vodka. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until cold and combined (about a minute or so). Strain the mixture through a strainer to catch the basil leaves and pour into two martini glasses. 
5. Repeat step #4 to make your last two martinis. 
6. Garnish each martini with a dried lemon and serve.