If you love your cocktails on the crisp, botanical side, then the eastside cocktail is about to become your new favorite. With refreshing cucumber, lots of mint, and the aromatic botanicals of your favorite gin, this cocktail will give you all the summer feels.
How to Make an Eastside Cocktail
We love how well cucumber and gin get along in this refreshing drink. It's super light and summery.
Ingredients
- 2-3 cucumber slices
- 5-7 fresh mint leaves
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Cucumber ribbon and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber slices and mint leaves with a splash of simple syrup.
- Add ice, gin, lime juice, and remaining simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Double strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a mint sprig.
Variations of the Eastside Cocktail
The eastside has a precise list of ingredients, but you can still play around with a few ideas without losing the spirit of the cocktail.
- Amplify the cucumber flavors by opting for Hendricks gin or, better yet, make your own homemade refreshing cucumber-infused gin.
- Use two to three mint leaves and the same amount of basil leaves for a crisp flavor.
- Whip up a mint simple syrup for a cooler, minty touch. It's especially useful to have on hand if you don't always have mint available.
- Experiment with the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup ratios. Use equal amounts of each, or use less lime juice for something a bit less tart or add more simple syrup for a sweeter flavor.
Related: Classic Pimm's Cup & 4 Variations — the Perfect Summer Treat
Garnishes
No drink is complete without a garnish, so make sure your eastside gimlet sparkles with any of these ideas and then some!
- Instead of a cucumber ribbon, go ahead and use a cucumber wheel. You can also cut your cucumber wheel into a square or heart shape for a fun touch.
- Garnish with a lime ribbon for a soft citrus touch or a lime wedge, wheel, or slice for a more robust citrus flavor.
- A dehydrated lime wheel adds a deeper green to pop against the background of the cocktail.
- Float a single mint and basil leaf on the top of the cocktail.
A New Age Gin Gimlet
For gin drinkers, it can be tough to shake up the usual routine: martini, Negroni, or a simple tonic highball. But there's a whole world beyond all those classics, and the eastside cocktail deserves a chance to surprise and delight new and longtime gin drinkers alike. Its gimlet approach and refreshing cucumber flavors make it a home run all around.
