Jade Rabbit Recipe

Prepare pandan syrup (make ahead)

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add 4–6 pandan leaves (tied in a knot) or 1 tablespoon pandan paste. Bring to a gentle simmer until sugar dissolves, simmer 2 minutes, then cool. Strain and refrigerate. Keeps 2 weeks.

Clarify cucumber (optional quick juice)

Peel and roughly chop 1 small English cucumber. Press or blend quickly and strain through a fine mesh or cheesecloth to yield about 2–3 oz cucumber juice. Use 1 oz for the cocktail and reserve remaining for another use.

Muddle mint

In a cocktail shaker, lightly bruise the mint leaves with a muddler or the back of a spoon to release aromatics — don’t over-macerate or it will taste bitter.

Dry shake (if using egg white)

Add gin, green Chartreuse, lime juice, cucumber juice, pandan syrup and egg white to the shaker (without ice). Dry-shake vigorously 12–15 seconds to emulsify and build a silky foam.

Wet shake

Add a generous handful of ice to the shaker and shake hard for 10–12 seconds until well chilled and the outside of the shaker frosts.

Strain

Double-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or small martini glass (use a fine mesh strainer to catch mint bits and ice shards) to achieve a smooth texture.

Create a thin cucumber ribbon using a vegetable peeler. Coil it and place on the surface of the drink, or thread it along the rim for a decorative accent.

Place a small mint sprig beside the cucumber ribbon. If using, gently apply a tiny flake of edible gold leaf to the foam surface for a celebratory Year of the Rabbit touch.

Serve immediately. Offer a small tasting note: the cocktail should be bright and herbal with cucumber freshness, pandan sweetness and a subtle floral/anise complexity from green Chartreuse.