This one is ours. We developed it one summer when we had elderflower cordial left over from making something else and a bottle of cucumber gin that Chris had been given and slightly forgotten about. The combination turned out to be quietly extraordinary — light, floral, cool, with a clean finish that makes it very easy to pour a second one before you have entirely decided to. We have been making it every summer since. Consider it the Maison Delicious house spritz.
What you'll need
- 50ml cucumber gin (Hendrick's is ideal; any good cucumber-forward gin will work)
- 25ml elderflower cordial (Belvoir or homemade if you have it)
- 90ml Prosecco, well chilled
- A splash of soda water — roughly 30ml
- 3–4 slices of fresh cucumber
- A small sprig of fresh mint
- Ice
What you'll need from your bar
A large balloon glass or a tall Collins glass — something with room for the garnish to do its work. A bar spoon for the gentlest possible stir. A jigger for the cordial, which is easy to over-pour.
How to make it
- Place your cucumber slices into the glass and press them very gently — you want a hint of cucumber rather than a full muddle.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Measure in the cucumber gin, then the elderflower cordial.
- Pour in the Prosecco, slowly, against the spoon to preserve the bubbles.
- Add the soda water.
- Stir once, gently.
- Tuck the mint sprig against the inside of the glass so the aroma reaches you as you drink.
Chris's tip
Do not over-muddle the cucumber. It sounds counterintuitive — surely more is more — but cucumber bruised too aggressively turns bitter and slightly watery. A light press, just enough to release a little of the moisture and scent, is exactly right. The gin and cordial carry the cucumber character; the fresh slices are there for aroma and for how the drink looks in the glass. And it should look beautiful — deep green against the straw-gold of the Prosecco, a little mint at the top. Put it on a table in a garden on a warm evening and the effect is almost unfairly good.
This is the drink we pour when the season finally arrives and the garden — or in our case, a somewhat battered wooden table in the back — is worth sitting in. We hope it becomes yours too.