Kew Gardens Cooler (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

Muddled cucumber and gin are excellent together, this we all know. But it takes a lot to get most folks beyond a Hendrick's and cucumber slices on the rocks. I prefer using a gin that doesn't have the cucumber in it already and then putting it in itself. That is the idea behind craft cocktails. 

Muddled cucumber adds a freshness and even a thicker texture to cocktails--I think it has to do with plant cell walls giving structure to flavors of the spirits (but I'm not sure). A sweet citrus liqueur like Aperol does wonders for the color and adding balance as well.

Scarlet Glow syrup is made from cooking the brand of hibiscus tea and sugar into a syrup. It is pretty and red. but doesn't do a lot for the flavor by itself. For mine, I used hibiscus syrup and tried not to worry if the flavor wasn't exactly right.

• 2 cucumber wheels
• 2 oz. Beefeater 24 gin (Citadelle used)
• 1/2 oz. Aperol (Don Ciccio & Figili Ambrosia used)
• 3/4 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. scarlet glow syrup (hibiscus syrup used)
• 1 cucumber ribbon garnish

Muddle the cucumber wheels in a shaker then add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake and strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with the cucumber ribbon skewered on a cocktail pick.