Gin Garden
Gin, muddled cucumber, pressed apple juice and elderflower liqueur, shaken. The Hendrick's-era garden cocktail of the 2000s — green, cool and faintly sweet, and the drink that sold cucumber gin to the world.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Muddle the cucumber slices gently in a shaker.
Add the gin, apple juice and elderflower liqueur.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a cucumber slice.
A thoughtful finish
- Cloudy pressed apple juice; clear juice from concentrate is flat and sweet.
- Muddle the cucumber gently; crushed seeds go bitter.
- A squeeze of lemon if the apple is sweet.
Common mistakes
- Clear apple juice.
- Too much elderflower, which takes over.
- Skipping the double strain.
A few good questions.
What does a Gin Garden taste like?
Cool cucumber and fresh apple with a floral elderflower note over gin — green, light and faintly sweet.
Which gin?
Hendrick's is the original; any gin works, cucumber-forward ones best.
Is there citrus in it?
No; the apple juice brings the acid. A squeeze of lemon is optional.
Can I make it long?
Top it with soda in a highball for a Gin Garden Collins.
Variations
- Cucumber Gin Cooler — Gin, cucumber, lime and soda.
- Elderflower Collins — Gin, elderflower, lemon and soda.
- Kentucky Maid — Bourbon, cucumber, mint and lemon.
- Elderflower Gimlet — Gin, elderflower and lime.
Where it comes from
c. 2004 · London
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Hendrick’s gin launched in 1999 with cucumber and rose in its botanicals and a cucumber slice as its garnish, and London bars spent the 2000s building drinks around it; the Gin Garden — gin with muddled cucumber, pressed apple juice and a measure of elderflower — appeared on menus around 2004 and became the brand’s unofficial house cocktail, printed in Difford’s and on Hendrick’s own site. It is a cucumber-and-apple sour without citrus: the apple brings acid and sweetness, the elderflower a floral lift, the cucumber its cool green water. It is a brunch and garden-party drink, low on sugar and very easy to like. Any gin works, but the cucumber-forward ones suit it.
Sources
- Difford's Guide, Gin Garden, 2008 (reference)
- Hendrick's Gin, recipe archive, current (producer)
- Simon Difford, Diffordsguide Cocktails, 2012 (book)
Strength. About 1.27 US standard drinks at an estimated 18.4% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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