Antheia Recipe

Chill glass

Place a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

If using egg white: perform a dry (no-ice) shake for about 15 seconds. Combine gin (2 oz), elderflower liqueur (0.75 oz), dry vermouth (0.5 oz), fresh lemon juice (0.75 oz), orange blossom honey syrup (0.5 oz), and egg white (0.5 oz) in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake vigorously without ice to emulsify and create foam.

Add ice to the shaker (enough to fill) and shake hard for 12–18 seconds until the shaker is very cold. If not using egg white, skip the dry shake and simply shake all ingredients with ice for 12–18 seconds.

Dump the ice/water from the chilled glass. Double strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe/Nick & Nora using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove ice shards and ensure a silky texture.

Express a lemon twist over the drink to release oils, then rim the glass lightly with the twist and drop it in or rest on the rim.

Garnish with one small edible flower placed on the foam (if egg white was used) or floated on the surface. Optionally finish with one light dash of freshly cracked black pepper over the foam for an aromatic contrast.

Orange blossom honey syrup: combine equal parts mild honey and hot water, stir until incorporated, cool before using. Use mild-flavored honey so it doesn't overpower the floral notes. Adjust sweetness to taste.

If you prefer a vegan/egg-free foam, substitute 0.75 oz aquafaba and follow the same dry-shake process.

Balance: taste the combined shaken cocktail before serving (discard if shared). If it tastes too floral/sweet, reduce elderflower liqueur by 0.25 oz; if too sharp, add 0.25 oz more honey syrup.