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What happens when you take the age-old Gimlet, which has roots back to fighting scurvy in the British Navy, and apply the finest arts of modern bartending? The Eastside Cocktail happens, thank goodness. This is a drink that you could file under the broad category of Gimlet-ology in that it is based on Dry Gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. The delicious new twist offered by the Eastside is the addition of muddled cucumber and mint leaves, which doesn’t add much complication but beautifully amplifies the cool refreshment already provided by the lime and gin.
Bar Tools
- Shaker
- Strainer
- Muddler
To Serve: a chilled Coupe glass
Ingredients
- 8 mint leaves
- 2 slices cucumber
- 2 oz. dry gin
- 3/4 oz. simple syrup
To Garnish: a thin slice of cucumber or a mint leaf
How to Make
Place the mint leaves on the bottom of the shaker, and then the cucumber slices. This order matters because you don’t want to heavily muddle the mint, but only press it enough to release its aromatic oils, so the cucumber serves as a layer. Muddle the cucumber slices, taking care to slightly crush but not pulverize them. Add the simple syrup, dry gin, and lime juice. Shake for 8 to 10 seconds with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Nutritional facts
- ABV (alcohol by volume) 17.4 %
- Calories: 176 calories
- Total carbohydrates: 13.1 grams
- Total added sugar: 11 grams
History
The Eastside cocktail has three layers of history, or evolution, you might say. Its prehistory, as noted, goes back to the Gimlet, a drink created of necessity aboard the ships of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy during the 17th Century. The Gimlet (named for an instrument used to tap kegs of spirits) was created when British surgeons and admirals came to understand that lime juice prevented scurvy; a daily ration of lime juice was issued to each sailor (hence the nickname “limeys”), along with water and whatever else was available for the making of grog (often rum, but sometimes gin, which itself was invented as a medicinal a century earlier). The sailors naturally mixed their rations and the Gimlet was born.
The Gimlet was improved upon during the prohibition era when legend tells us that Chicago gangster Al Capone’s bootleg gin was a little rough tasting — especially relative to the smoother gin being made by rivals on the north side of Chicago — and so he and his compadres took to adding mint to their Gimlets. He was from the south side of Chicago, and so this new twist on the Gimlet was called “the Southside.” Finally, in 2004, bartender George Delgado of Libations in New York City added the cucumber, and the Eastside came refreshingly to life.
FAQ
What about the fizz?
Good question. Yes, the original iteration of this drink — like the original Southside — included a topping of soda water stirred in with a bar spoon, and was served in a Tom Collins glass as a fizz. But the drink was popularized when another bartender, Crissy Pope, took the drink to the influential Milk & Honey bar in NYC and transformed it into a more straightforward, coupe-style cocktail.
What kind of gin?
Beefeaters works wonderfully, but whatever your dry gin of choice is, the Eastside will make it sing. Hendrick’s, though not technically a dry gin, is an interesting fit because it has strong cucumber notes already.
Can I make this with vodka?
Yes, you can. Just don’t call it an Eastside cocktail. It will be drinkable (if somewhat bland). One of the calling cards of this drink is as an entry-level cocktail for those who might not know the splendor of gin.
