White Linen Recipe

Muddle cucumber

Place 4 thin cucumber slices in a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle 6–8 times until cucumber releases juice but isn’t pulverized (you want aroma and light vegetal flavor, not a paste).

Combine ingredients

Add 2 oz gin, 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, and 1 large egg white to the shaker with the muddled cucumber.

Dry shake

Close the shaker and shake vigorously without ice for 15–20 seconds. This 'dry shake' emulsifies the egg white and builds a foamy texture.

Wet shake

Add a generous handful of ice (about 1 cup) to the shaker. Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until the exterior of the shaker is very cold and the mixture is well-chilled and slightly frothy.

Double strain and serve

Double-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass using both the shaker strainer and a fine-mesh strainer to remove cucumber solids and ice shards, yielding a silky, pale drink.

Garnish

Finish with one small dash of Angostura bitters on the foam (optional) or a single thin cucumber ribbon or micro herb laid on the foam for aroma and visual contrast.

Safety note

If concerned about raw egg white, use pasteurized egg white or 0.5 oz pasteurized liquid egg white substitute. Alternatively, omit the egg white — the drink will be lighter and less silky.