Cucumber Gin and Tonic

Ingredients

• 🥃Gin60 ml
• 🥤Tonic Water, well chilled120 ml
• 🥒Cucumber, ribboned with a peeler6 slice
• 🍋Lime, plus a little juice for the glass1 wedge
• 🧊Ice, large cubes if possible1 cup

Method

1. 1

   Ribbon the cucumber

   Run a vegetable peeler down the length of the Cucumber to make long ribbons, turning it as you go so you get wide, flexible strips rather than chunky slices. Stop when the ribbons look pale green and glossy; if they tear, just start the next pass a little deeper into the flesh.

   3 min
2. 2

   Juice the lime

   Cut the Lime wedge open and squeeze the juice into a small measuring cup or directly into the glass, working over your hand so you can catch any pips. It should smell sharply floral and taste bright rather than bitter; if a seed drops in, fish it out before it hits the drink.

   2 min
3. 3

   Build the glass

   Fill a highball glass with the Ice so it reaches close to the top, then add the Gin and the Lime juice over the cubes. The glass should sound frosty and firm against the ice, and the liquid will look clear and cold right away; if the ice sits too low, add more now so the drink stays diluted slowly instead of fast.

   2 min
4. 4

   Top with tonic

   Pour the Tonic Water down the side of the glass in a slow stream, then give the drink one gentle lift with a bar spoon or straw to mix without knocking out the bubbles. It should fizz briskly and stay bright on top with tiny beads racing upward; if the bubbles go quiet, stop stirring and let the ice do the work instead.

   1 min
5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Lay the Cucumber ribbons over the top so they curl through the ice, then tuck them lightly against the glass and serve immediately. The drink should look crisp and translucent with a cool green perfume rising from the surface; if the ribbons sink, hook them around the ice and give them a little lift.

Nutrition per serving