If you were as lucky as us to have escaped the Toronto winter for a few weeks, you’ll go right back to those beach days when you take one sip of this cocktail! The New Airline is a super yummy blend of warm weather flavours found all year (no matter how cold it may get), with notes of ginger, cucumber, green apple, elderflower, and botanical aromas from the gin. It’s not an overly sweet drink either, as many shaken drinks like this often include sugar syrups, this one has sharp ginger muddled in to help stave off colds in the winter and quench your thirst in the summer.
This recipe is from the highest bar in Beijing, Atmosphere at the top of the Shangri-la Hotel China World Summit Wing, so incase you aren’t able to make it their in time for summer, we’ve got a quick little how-to below for you.
INGREDIENTS:
1 oz Gin
⅓ oz Cointreau
⅓ oz Elderflower liqueur
⅓ oz Lime Juice
¼ oz Apple Juice
¾ inch Thick Ginger Slice
2 Thick Cucumber Slices
2 Thick Green Apple Slices
METHOD:
Muddle cucumber, apple, and ginger slices in a cocktail shaker for about a minute taking care to press all of the juice out of all three elements. Add gin; I’ve used the new Bombay Sapphire East which is infused with thai lemongrass and Vietnamese black peppercorns for an extra level of botanicals. Add cointreau, elderflower liqueur (such as St. Germaine), lime juice, and apple juice (apple cider works too), and shake over ice until the contents feel well chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe, like this neat vintage one I found in Toronto, and garnish with a sliver of cucumber.
Confused? Watch my how-to GIF below!
