Cooking Lesson #567: Cucumber Cleanse Cocktail

…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? Well, it’s week three… are you sticking to all your New Year’s resolutions, including the one to be healthier this year?
 
It’s also Friday—Happy Hour time—and you also don’t want to break your resolution to socialize with friends at the bar. You don’t have to… here’s a happy hour cocktail that is perfect for you to hop on the juice-cleanse train without giving up your booze, thanks to this recipe. It’s pretty easy, just fresh cucumber and lemon juice jazzed up with a splash of vodka and ginger syrup (recipe follows). The ginger syrup adds the zing and bitters bring an earthy, musky depth. Top it all with a bit of ground cayenne for some extra spice flavor.
 
Lemon and cayenne is a popular juice cleanse when people are looking to counter overindulgence and these flavors meld well with the fresh flavor of cucumber. It also helps settle your stomach. Lemon and lime juices are best used within about four hours of pressing.
 
Prep time:  35 minutes (includes time for ginger syrup)
Mix time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail

Ingredients 
2 ounces vodka
3/4 ounce fresh cucumber juice (pressed)
1/2-ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4-ounce ginger syrup*
1/4-ounce honey
5 drops bitters
1 egg white (use pasteurized egg whites if that makes you feel more comfortable)
1/4 cup crushed ice
A pinch of ground cayenne garnish
 
Directions

1. Add all the ingredients into a shaker and shake without ice until frothy. The egg whites make it nice and frothy.
2. Add the ice and shake again until well-chilled.
3. Strain into a cocktail glass without ice.
4. Garnish with a pinch of ground cayenne.

*ChefSecret:  To make ginger syrup: Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to boil in a small saucepan. Add 4-ounces of peeled fresh ginger cut into thin rounds (about a 10-inch long piece). Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes, then strain out the solids. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks.

Quip of the Day:  We celebrated Fred’s 100th birthday last week—it was a hell of a bash. Today, we are celebrating that he just paid off his student loans. Who knows what next week will bring?!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Cocktail #HappyHour #CucumberCleanseCocktail #Vodka #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

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