Looking for a new spirit recipe to unwind? In the top-10 selling liquor brands in the United States, rum brands make it onto the list twice. And if Bacardi, Hendrick’s or Captain Morgan is sitting on the counter of your basement bar already, here’s your chance to test out the white linen cocktail recipe.

The white linen cocktail, popularized in the 2000s, pairs gin and elderflower liqueur with muddled cucumber and lime to create a drink that was so popular in Sacramento that a canned version was released in 2017. If you’d still prefer to make your own at home, it can be done in seven steps.

How to Make a White Linen Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of gin
• 1 ounce of elderflower liqueur (St-Germain recommended)
• 1 ounce of fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce of simple syrup
• 3-4 thin slices of cucumber
• Soda water
• Ice
• Cucumber slice or lime wheel (for garnish)

Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, place the cucumber slices in the bottom.
2. Gently muddle the cucumber slices with the lime juice and simple syrup.
3. Pour in the gin, elderflower liqueur and ice.
4. Shake well.
5. Strain the mixture into an ice-filled highball glass.
6. Top with soda water, then stir gently.
7. Garnish with another cucumber slice or a lime wheel.

Muddle the Cocktail With Care

When muddling the cucumbers, be careful not to just smash them. Herbs will taste bitter if they’re torn apart and ruin the whole drink. The goal of muddling herbs (ex. mint, basil, citrus), fruit and sugar cubes is to release the flavors and the aromas, not to treat them in the same manner as a food processor. The wooden (or metal) tool has a flat bottom that can “smush” these ingredients in a cocktail shaker. (Avoid using low-quality or fragile glassware that can easily break.) Once the ingredient is at the bottom of the shaker, gently press and twist. Fruits will release juices and oils. Herbs will release their natural aromas.

If a muddle is not accessible, a rolling pin can work too. (Avoid using the kind of rolling pins with the oval handles or unscrew it. You may end up with fruit caught in the handle opening though so beware of clogs.) Hold the rolling pin in your fist the way you would with an ice pick. Then, gently press down to break the herbs and get that familiar smell. Do not tear them apart. When using a rolling pin to muddle fruits such as berries, smush them enough to release the juices and oils. Try not to smash them so much to the point they look like they’ve been in a high-speed blender.

Rene Dominguez’s Link to White Linen Cocktails

Dominguez, a bartender at The Shady Lady Saloon in Sacramento, California, created the original white linen cocktail in 2008 during the Sacramento Cocktail Week. The original version was featured in the Sacramento Eats: Recipes from the Capital Region’s Favorite Restaurants book with 60 other recipes.

Why Shaking Gin Is Frowned Upon

What’s interesting about this drink is the instruction to shake gin, which is often frowned upon because it can result in “bruising” (i.e., making the top notes disappear). But with a white linen cocktail, those “disappearing” top notes give the drink a purposely lighter taste. It should look a little cloudy when it’s ready to serve.