The Palmetto Recipe

Prep and Infuse

Place peeled, thinly sliced cucumber in a clean sealable jar. Pour 16 oz vodka over cucumber, seal, and gently invert to combine. Let infuse at room temperature for 4–8 hours for a bright cucumber note, or refrigerate for 12–24 hours for a more subtle infusion. Taste after the minimum time; when flavor is satisfactory, strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean bottle. Discard cucumber solids. Chill bottle before use.

Make Syrup

Combine 3 oz granulated sugar and 3 oz water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar fully dissolves and mixture reaches a gentle simmer, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat, add 10 fresh mint leaves, cover, and steep for 15 minutes. Taste; if mint flavor is light, steep up to 30 minutes. Strain out mint leaves, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Yields roughly 6 oz syrup.

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

Light Muddle: In a cocktail shaker, add 6 fresh mint leaves and 0.5 oz mint simple syrup. Gently clap the leaves between your hands to release oils, then place them in the shaker and lightly muddle with a bar spoon or muddler — just one or two gentle presses; avoid pulverizing to prevent bitterness.

Add Ingredients: Add 2.5 oz cucumber-infused vodka, 1 oz Lillet Blanc, and 0.75 oz fresh lime juice to the shaker. Fill the shaker with ice to about two-thirds full (roughly 1 cup).

Shake: Secure the shaker and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until the outside of the shaker is cold and frosty. This chills and slightly dilutes the cocktail for balance.

Double Strain: Remove glass from freezer or dump ice water. Double strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch mint bits and ice shards.

Garnish: Create a cucumber ribbon by using a vegetable peeler to shave a long thin strip from a cucumber. Twist the ribbon into a spiral and rest it on the rim or float it in the glass. Slap a small sprig of mint between your palms to express aromatics and place it atop the drink.

Serve: Present immediately. The Palmetto is best enjoyed cold and fresh to preserve mint and cucumber aromas.