Queen's Park Swizzle.

This cocktail originated at the Queen's Park Hotel in Trinidad,  Regardless it is an amazing drink, especially for warm weather.

Combine in tall, 12-16 oz glass :

• 3 oz dark rum -- I used Plantation Barbados rum
• 1/2 oz lime
• 6-8 mint leaves roughly torn
• 1/2 oz demerra simple syrup
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters.

In the bottom of the glass put the mint leaves, the lime juice and the simple syrup and muddle slightly to release the mint oils.
Add the rum and with a swizzle stick mix the rum/lime/sugar/mint mixture for at least 30 seconds..

Pour in about a cup of shaved or very finely cracked ice and swizzle between your palms until the glass frosts..

Top it off with the bitters which will result in a slightly layered drink, rum/mint on the bottom, ice in the middle and a layer of bitters on the top. Garnish with a lime slice and a big spring of mint..

Basil Leaves

The name ‘basil’ is derived from the old Greek word basilikohn, which means ‘royal’, reflecting that ancient culture’s attitudes held towards this herb were very noble and sacred.

There are various kinds of  basil. The various basils have different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils which come together in different proportions for various breeds. Cool, huh? The most common basil scents are lemon, clove, camphor and licorice.

Basil  is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions. It thrives in strong sunlight. It behaves as an annual if there is any chance of a frost. Keep that in mind if you keep your plant outside!

If you wish to propagate your plant, it can be done in two ways – from seed or from cuttings (with the stems of short cuttings suspended for two weeks or so in water until roots develop).

Yellow leaves towards the bottom of the plant are an indication that the plant has been stressed. Usually this means that it needs less water, or less or more fertilizer.