Crisp, clean cucumber combines with floral elderflower and gin. What’s not to love?
Laksa, red wine, a Bloody Mary – these are the natural enemies of white linen. Fortunately, the cucumber-forward cocktail that shares its name with the stain-prone fabric is clean, clear and might even make your clothes smell better if you do suffer a splashback.
The White Linen cocktail is all about the crisp combo of cucumber and elderflower, lengthened with soda, sweetened with a little honey syrup and given a gentle botanical edge with gin. The cocktail traces its origins to a bar called the Shady Lady Saloon in Sacramento, California back in the 2000s. That version was adapted from another local cocktail created by Rene Dominguez at the Ella Dining Room.
The original version calls for cucumber to be muddled in a cocktail shaker to release its flavours but, here, our cocktail experts have gone one better. Instead of muddling, our version of the White Linen gets a cuke-boost from fresh cucumber juice, which requires only a brief blitz in a blender and a quick strain. Our twist also calls for honey syrup rather than sugar syrup, which is easy to mix up at home (see our method below) and adds a subtle richness to the otherwise clean cocktail.
We reckon the White Linen is a perfect cocktail for warm-weather entertaining – or when you feel like some summery vibes at other times. This recipe makes six serves, so plonk a jug or punch bowl in the middle of an outdoor table and enjoy it in the sun alongside some tasty snacks with your mates.
Ingredients
90mL honey syrup (see method) 180mL cucumber juice 240mL gin 120mL elderflower liqueur 90mL lemon juice 180mL soda water Glass: jug and rocks glasses Garnish: lemon wheels and cucumber ribbons
Method
To make the honey syrup, combine 1 part honey, 1 part boiling water and stir until combined. Set aside to cool For the cucumber juice, peel one cucumber, chop it roughly and blitz it in a blender. Strain and discard any solids, and set the juice aside Add ice to a large jug or punch bowl and dress it with some of the lemon wheels and cucumber ribbons Add all ingredients, slowly adding the soda water last. Stir gently to mix Top the bowl or jug with ice and finish with remaining lemon wheels and cucumber on top
Dan’s top tips
The White Linen doesn’t take long to make, but there are two DIY parts. First is the honey syrup, which requires equal parts honey and boiling water. Stir both until combined, set aside to cool and that’s it. Easy. For the cucumber juice, simply peel and chop a cucumber and pop it in a blender. Once blitzed, strain out the solids and you’re left with a fresh batch of cucumber juice. As for the type of cucumber to use, that’s really up to you. Just know that small Lebanese cucumbers tend to be low on seeds and relatively thin-skinned, so you’ll need two or three to make sure you’ve got enough juice. Gin-wise, the original Californian recipe was based on the cucumber flavours of Hendrick’s Gin, which is a great way to go, especially because Hendrick’s Gin is infused with cucumber after distillation. Really, though, any London dry gin with a good whack of juniper flavour will be great here. The only other thing to consider is the serving style. We’d suggest a jug or breaking out that punch bowl you’re always saving for a special occasion. Then, just load it up with plenty of ice (the bigger the block the better for a punch bowl to cut down on dilution), plus cucumber ribbons and lemon wheels, and you’re gold.
What does the White Linen taste like?
The White Linen tastes like crisp cucumber and floral elderflower. It’s a crisp, clean cocktail with a little sweetness and a lot of freshness.
Is the White Linen a good batched cocktail for summer?
We think the White Linen is a perfect batched cocktail for summer. It’s easy to make, impressive to serve and it has a fresh, clean flavour that works great in the heat.
- How do you make honey syrup?
Honey syrup is simple to make. All you need is equal parts honey and boiling water. Combine both ingredients, stir until incorporated and then just set aside to cool.
