Birkin Recipe

Muddle

Place the peeled cucumber slices and basil leaves into a cocktail shaker. Add the simple syrup and gently muddle 6–8 times until cucumber releases juice and basil is fragrant but not pulverized.

Combine

Add the gin, St-Germain, fresh lemon juice and (if using) egg white to the shaker.

Dry shake

Dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 15–20 seconds to emulsify the egg white and integrate aromatics; this step produces a silky foam. If not using egg white, you may still dry shake briefly to marry flavors.

Ice and shake

Add a generous handful of cubed ice to the shaker and shake hard for 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker becomes very cold.

Double strain

Double strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh sieve to remove cucumber pieces and basil fragments for a smooth texture.

Float a thin cucumber ribbon on the surface, place a small basil leaf on the foam (or slide the lemon twist on the rim), and serve immediately.