Tequila Smash Recipe

Prepare cucumber juice

If you don't have pre-pressed cucumber juice, peel one small English cucumber (optional), roughly chop and pulse in a blender until liquefied. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing solids to yield about 1 to 1.5 oz juice. Use 1 oz for a single cocktail and discard or reserve pulp for another use.

Muddle mint

In a chilled cocktail shaker, place 8 fresh mint leaves and the simple syrup (0.5 oz). Gently muddle 6–8 times — press to release oils but avoid shredding the leaves to prevent bitterness.

Build and shake

Add Las Altos Blanco Tequila (2 oz), fresh cucumber juice (1 oz), fresh lime juice (0.75 oz), and Celtic salt solution (0.125 oz) to the shaker. Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Add ice to the shaker, cap, and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until well chilled.

Double strain

Prepare a rocks glass with a large ice cube or fill it with crushed ice. Double strain the shaken cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the glass to remove mint bits and any remaining solids.

Express oils from a mint sprig over the drink by gently pinching the top of the sprig near the leaves and sweeping it across the glass surface. Slap or lightly bruise the sprig and place it into the drink.

Thread a thin cucumber ribbon along the inner side of the glass or drape it across the top for aroma and visual appeal. Optionally add a final tiny pinch of sea salt on the cucumber or rim if desired.

Serve immediately with a short straw. Sip and enjoy; the saline and bitters should accentuate the fresh cucumber and tequila.