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Cocktail History
The Go-To is a modern cocktail that was created by Rob Krueger at Extra Fancy in New York City, New York. This cooling recipe is made with gin, citrus, elderflower, cucumber, and mint, and it got its name when Krueger told a patron at his bar that he always turned to this drink when customers asked for “a refreshing gin or vodka drink that’s not too sweet and has cucumber.”
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Ginger Beer: This is a carbonated beverage made with ginger root, and yeast or ginger culture, water, and sugar, which are infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a fizzy, spicy flavor.
Gin: This is a spirit made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals to develop a distinctive, aromatic flavor.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.
Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflower blossoms, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a light, floral flavor.
Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.
Cucumber Slices: This is a piece of cucumber that has been cut into a thin circular shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Fizzy clear color
• Aroma: Fresh mint and cucumber
• Taste: Cool cucumber and ginger flavor laced with floral notes
• Finish: Gin botanicals with ginger beer zing
Kendall’s Take: “I quite liked this drink! A couple of sips in, and it made me wish so very much that cucumber didn’t give me raging heartburn so I could down the whole thing. It’s so light and refreshing and has a spicy yet cooling quality that makes it an incredibly easy sip. The Go-To is great for a hot summer day when you want something light and gin-based but a little different than the classic mint drinks.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Go-To
Description
The Go-To is a modern cocktail that was created by Rob Krueger at Extra Fancy in New York City, New York. This cooling recipe is made with gin, citrus, elderflower, cucumber, and mint, and it got its name when Krueger told a patron at his bar that he always turned to this drink when customers asked for "a refreshing gin or vodka drink that's not too sweet and has cucumber."
Ingredients
Instructions
Add mint leaves and 1 cucumber slice to a shaker.
Using a muddler, gently muddle mint leaves in cucumber slices for 5-7 seconds.
Add gin, lime juice, and elderflower liqueur to shaker.
Fill shaker with cubed ice.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Add fresh cubed ice to a highball glass.
Using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer, strain into highball glass.
Garnish with remaining cucumber slices and mint sprig.
