The Eastside Cocktail: A Classic Gin Drink

Tim Laferla Jul 21 20210 comments

The Eastside was first created in 2004 by George Delgado in Libation, a now sadly closed cocktail bar located in New York's Lower East Side (hence the name). Originally, the drink was topped with soda water, but Christy Pope popularised this version, served "straight up", at the world-renowned Milk and Honey bar.

Back in 2004, the gin landscape looked very different for bartenders. There were a few premium options in amongst the collection of historic household names. One such up-market offering was the then recently-created Hendrick's Gin. This gin's "hero" botanicals of cucumber and rose first inspired the creation of this cocktail, but these days, we have a wealth of different expression to choose from, and we believe Tiny Bear Distillery's incredibly herbaceous 'The Doctor' gin works even better.

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Ingredients
60ml Gin
20ml Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
20ml Sugar syrup (1 part sugar : 1 part water)
3-4 Cucumber Slices
3-4 Fresh mint leaves

Garnish None

Ice Cubes (for shaking)

Glass Cocktail glass

Equipment Checklist

Hawthorne Strainer Shaker
Fine Strainer Jigger

Recommended Gins

Tiny Bear The Doctor Gin

Instructions

1. Add cucumber to the shaker.

2. Add muddle and crush the cucumber slices to release flavour.

3. Add all remaining ingredients to the shaker.

4. Fill shaker to the brim with cubes of ice.

5. Shake hard for 30 seconds.

6. Fine strain into an ice-cold cocktail glass.

Bartender’s Top Tips

Remember to chill your glass in the freezer for 5 minutes before you fill it, to keep your drink colder and fresher for longer.

Fine straining through a mesh strainer (like a tea strainer), removes all the small chips of ice, bits of mint and bits of cucumber to create a silky smooth texture.

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