Video: A Classic Thai Basil Daiquiri (Just Add Liquid Nitrogen) Wondering how to keep the Thai basil in your daiquiri from turning black? Just splash it with a frosty puff of liquid nitrogen. In a recent segment of TimesCast Tech, Dave Arnold, the director of culinary technology at the International Culinary Center, flexes his molecular mixology muscles and demonstrates how to make a classic Thai basil daiquiri using a tool few bartenders possess: liquid nitrogen. The extreme low temperature preserves the basil's color, resulting in a vibrant emerald cocktail. While difficult to make an exact replica at home (though if you have a fireplace poker you can try this recipe for another one of Mr. Arnold's drinks, Red Hot Ale), the Thai basil daiquiri can be sampled at Booker and Dax, in the back of David Chang's Momofuku Ssam Bar.