(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...Known as Sacramento’s signature drink, the White Linen cocktail features gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, elderflower liqueur, and thin slices of English cucumbers. The result is a crisp elixir that begs to be sipped in the heat of California summer.
Bar Tools
- Jigger or small measuring cup
- Cocktail shaker
- Paring knife and small cutting board
To serve: Serve in a Collins glass.
Ingredients (One Serving)
- 1 ½ oz. gin
- 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- ½ oz. elderflower liqueur
- 3 thin slices of English cucumber (plus extra for garnish)
- 4 oz. soda water
To garnish: Drop a few slices of English cucumber directly into the drink.
How to Make
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, elderflower liqueur, and three cucumber slices. Shake until chilled. Then, strain into a Collins glass with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with cucumber slices and serve.
Nutrition Facts & ABV
- ABV (alcohol by volume): 7.2%
- Calories: 190 calories
- Total carbohydrates: 14.6 grams
- Total sugar: 13.3 grams
History
The White Linen cocktail is a rather new-age invention dating back to Sacramento Cocktail Week in 2008. It was the heat of summer and temps were flirting with 90 °F. Desperate for some reprieve, bartender Rene Dominguez of Ella Dining Room married juniper-forward gin with fragrant elderflower liqueur. The love affair has persisted ever since, stealing the hearts of Sacramentans in a single sip.
FAQs
What kind of gin should I use?
Our tried-and-true favorite is Hendrick’s Gin. Clean and dry with lingering notes of cucumber and rose, this intoxicant only amplifies the botanical complexity of the elderflower liqueur. Of course, if you aren’t much of a gin drinker, you could opt for a sweeter spirit like Bombay Sapphire Gin (a.k.a. the “gateway gin”).
The cocktail is a bit dry. How can I sweeten it up?
Though Sacramentans adore the White Linen’s punch, it can be a bit much for out-of-towners. To lighten things up, sub the soda water for lemon-lime soda. Just don’t let the locals see you do it.
Will any kind of elderflower liqueur work?
Made using hand-picked elderflowers, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur is by far the most balanced and toothsome product on the market.
Are the cucumbers necessary?
Vegetable haters, we see you. Cucumbers can be rubbery and tasteless, especially when sourced from a big-box grocer. But here’s the thing, if you take a little extra time and source the cucumbers from a local farm (as Rene Dominguez intended), the veggies really do add a noticeably refreshing twang.
