Nube De Fresa Recipe

Macerate

Combine chopped strawberries, chopped cucumber, basil leaves, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Muddle gently to release juices and basil aroma. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Blend and strain

Transfer the macerated mixture to a blender with the apple cider vinegar and filtered water. Pulse until smooth (about 10–15 seconds). Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a container, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.

Finish shrub

Taste the strained shrub and adjust balance with up to 1 tsp more sugar or 1 tsp more vinegar if needed. Refrigerate until cold. Yields roughly 6 oz; use 1 oz per cocktail.

In a small jar or cocktail shaker, combine the strained fresh strawberry purée, aquafaba, simple syrup, and lime zest. Dry-shake (no ice) vigorously for 20–30 seconds until foamy and slightly thickened. Chill briefly in refrigerator if needed. This will produce about 1–1.5 oz of foam—use 1 oz on each cocktail.

Chill glass

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

Build

In a mixing tin, add Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila (2 oz), Fino Sherry (0.5 oz), Bergamot Rosolio (0.25 oz), fresh lime juice (0.5 oz), and strawberry-cucumber-basil shrub (1 oz). Add ice and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well chilled.

Double strain

Discard ice from the chilled glass. Double-strain the shaken cocktail into the chilled glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove any small ice shards or pulp.

Top with foam

Gently spoon or pour approximately 1 oz of the strawberry foam over the top of the cocktail to create a light 'nube' (cloud) layer.

Garnish and serve

Finish with a small basil leaf floated on the foam, a thin cucumber ribbon along the inside of the glass or twisted and placed on the foam, and a halved strawberry on the rim. Serve immediately.