Hi! I wondered why the Gin Basil Smash is in the column with rare, specialized ingredients? Sounds pretty basic to me, especially compared with the other cocktails in the list.

Purely because basil, in my experience, in the US, is not commonly stocked at bars (this might change as the gin basil smash grows in popularity). I had to go out of my way to find a bar with a gin basil smash on its menu, because the few I tried didn't have basil on hand.