This British summertime cooler, made with gin, apple juice, elderflower liqueur, and soda, is refined and a little restrained though in all the right ways. Exactly what one might expect from a British cocktail.
British Summertime Cooler
Ingredients
Directions
In a chilled highball glass, gently muddle the mint and then fill the glass 3/4 full of crushed ice.
Add the gin, apple juice, and St. Germain and stir to combine.
Top off with soda. Stir once more and add more crushed ice. Garnish with a cucumber spear and more fresh mint.
Recipe Testers' Reviews
Restrained, refined, refreshing--all that one might expect from a British summer cocktail. Oh, and gin, of course. Like a good friend once described his betrothed, I'd say this drink is a solid 4 out of 5 in most categories; good for the long haul. It's not too sweet, not too strong.
The cucumber is a surprisingly necessary choice. For the apple juice, I halved a fresh apple and mashed it in my lemon juicer and it yielded exactly 2 tbsp (1 oz), lucky for me. I added approximately 6 ounces of homemade sparkling water.
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Jess Bender
This cooler tastes a lot like a Pimm’s Cup, but you don’t need to go out of your way to find Pimm’s in your local liquor store. I’m not a huge fan of mint in general, but it pairs eloquently with the herbaceous gin and floral elderflower. I could imagine myself sipping this in the Kensington Palace gardens — now if only Queen Elizabeth could mail me an invite.
I also thought the apple juice would make this too sweet, but instead it’s a subtle and lovely taste. It also gives the cooler a light gingery tint which you may or may not find aesthetically appealing.
I used 3 ounces of Seagram’s since that’s what I had on hand, but you could also use a flavored seltzer that complements the floral notes found in the gin and cordial. I’d personally go with a simple lemon soda water. Makes one very refreshing drink.