Gordon's Cup
Savoury, citrusy and a teensy bit vegetal, this is totally my jam.
by Erin Henderson
Ah, the end of summer.
Days are still hot, nights are comfortable, and the garden runneth over with a pleasing bounty.
I'm a late adapter to gardening, but now entrenched in my third season, I wonder why I didn't start before. It's an absolute thrill to head outside to Le Clos Condo, my balcony farm, and pick what I need for dinner – and drinks.
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Which brings me to today's topic: the Gordon's Cup – a fresh and lightly savoury cocktail that leans heavily on garden basics.
It’s a modern drink that was developed in the earlier part of this century by Sasha Petraske, who started the famed Milk & Honey cocktail bar in New York. It just came on my radar after the Robb Report ran an article on it. While the drink is classically served with the bits of cucumber and lime in the glass itself, similar to a mojito, I like the RR’s take on it, straining it out for a texturally cleaner drink.
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Gordon's Cup
It’s a modern cocktail that was developed in the earlier part of this century by Sasha Petraske who started the famed Milk & Honey cocktail bar in New York. However, it just came on my radar recently after the Robb Report ran an article on it. While the drink is classically served with the bits of cucumber and lime in the glass itself, similar to a mojito, I like the RR’s take on it, straining it out for a texturally cleaner drink.
Savoury, citrusy and a teensy bit vegetal, this is totally my jam.
Makes: 1 drink
Bartender level: moderate
Equipment: muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon), cocktail shaker
Ingredients:
- 3 cucumber slices
- 1 inch slice lime peel
- 2 oz gin (I like Empress Lemon & Cucumber for this)
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
- Salt and pepper (seriously)
How to Make It:
- In an empty shaker, combine the cucumber and lime peel with the gin, and muddle for about 30 seconds until you start to smell some lime and the cucumber is broken down.
- Add the lime juice and simple syrup and fill the shaker with ice.
- Shake with determination for until well chilled, a count of about 30.
- Double strain (so pour through the strainer, and through a cocktail sieve) into an ice-filled rocks glass.
- Sprinkle a dash of S+P over the top, stir, and garnish with a ribbon of cucumber.