Equipment
Ingredients
Cocktail
- 45 ml gin
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 ml simple syrup
- 15 ml st-germain elderflower liqueur
- 3 cucumber slices
- 60 ml club soda
Simple Syrup (Optional)
- 200 g white sugar
- 240 ml water
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 996 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 224 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 222 g
- Sodium
- 25 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 59 mg
- Calcium
- 17 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 7 mg
- Phosphorus
- 8 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 7 mcg
- Water
- 370 g
- Alcohol
- 17 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, elderflower liqueur, and cucumber slices into a cocktail shaker.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds until the exterior of the metal becomes very cold.
Add fresh ice to a Collins glass.
Pour the mixture through a double strainer into the prepared glass to remove ice shards and cucumber pulp.
Add the club soda to the glass and stir gently once to incorporate.
Garnish the drink with additional cucumber slices and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For an extra layer of cucumber flavor, gently muddle 2-3 thin slices in the shaker before adding other liquids and ice.
- Use a good quality London Dry gin for its juniper-forward profile, which will stand up well to the other ingredients. Avoid overly floral or citrus-forward gins as they might clash.
- Ensure your simple syrup is fresh and well-dissolved. Stale syrup can affect the sweetness and texture of the cocktail.
- Double straining is crucial here to achieve a smooth texture, free of ice shards and cucumber pulp. A fine-mesh sieve in addition to the shaker's built-in strainer is recommended.
- Chill your serving glass beforehand for an even colder and more refreshing drink.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Cocktail contains green flecks or pulp
Cause: The strainer was not fine enough to catch the cucumber debris during the shake.
Fix: Strain the liquid a second time through a fine-mesh sieve into a fresh glass.
Prevention: Always use a fine-mesh double strainer in tandem with the shaker's built-in strainer.
Drink tastes watery and weak
Cause: The cocktail was shaken for too long or the ice was already melting (wet ice).
Fix: Cannot be fixed; adjust shaking time for the next serving.
Prevention: Use fresh, dry ice from the freezer and shake for no more than 15 seconds.
Cultural Context
The White Linen cocktail is a modern classic, embodying the trend of botanical and floral notes in contemporary mixology. Its clean, crisp profile reflects a desire for refreshing, less spirit-forward drinks, often associated with spring and summer gatherings or sophisticated al fresco dining.
