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Cucumber Gin & Tonic

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Cucumber gin & tonic 1

Cocktails –  Aviary Style

Cucumber gin & tonic is my rendition of a cocktail from The Aviary’s iconic coffee table book—a jaw-dropping collection born from the inventive minds behind Alinea, particularly Grant Achatz. If you’ve dined at his flagship restaurant in Chicago, you know how easy it is to tumble down the rabbit hole into The Aviary’s world of boundary-pushing cocktails.

The book itself is a beast—seven pounds of visual and culinary artistry. Each page pairs breathtaking photography with recipes that read more like science experiments than simple drink instructions. But for those who thrive on challenge, it’s less about ease and more about the alchemy. Think Back to the Future’s Doc Brown in a lab coat—only this time, the chemistry’s real, and Achatz wears a chef’s jacket.

The Aviary Cucumber Gin & Tonic

This is the very first recipe in the book—and tellingly, it’s never been served at The Aviary. Why? It’s too time-consuming and complex for a menu. But for a passionate cocktail enthusiast at home? That’s an invitation. Challenge accepted.

What You’ll Need:

This isn’t your everyday G&T. You’ll need a few specialized tools and food-safe ingredients:

  • Carbonation device
  • 1/2 liter carbonation-safe container
  • 5/8” diameter silicone sphere mold
  • Glass straws
  • Perforated spoon
  • Sodium alginate
  • Calcium lactate
  • Powdered citric acid

Four Steps to Cocktail Greatness:

  1. Make the simple syrup
  2. Create cucumber spheres using molecular gastronomy techniques
  3. Carbonate the gin & tonic blend
  4. Assemble the cocktail for a show-stopping pour

This drink isn’t just a cocktail—it’s an experience. It smells like summer in a glass, fresh cucumber with a whisper of botanical gin and tonic bubbles. And the taste? Imagine sipping this, each taste punctuated by a burst of cucumber on a sun-drenched patio—with just a hint of science fiction. Print

Cucumber Gin & Tonic

Print Recipe

An over-carbonated gin and tonic with cucumber spheres and a touch of chartreuse

  • Author: TJ
  • Yield: 2-4 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Cucumber Spheres

  • 1000 grams filtered water
  • 7.5 grams sodium alginate
  • 5 english cucumbers – AKA european, greenhouse, hothouse or seedless
  • 108 grams finely granulated sugar
  • 20 grams calcium lactate
  • 6 grams fine kosher salt

Gin & Tonic

  • 4 oz premium, juniper forward gin
  • 8 oz premium tonic water
  • 1 oz green chartreuse
  • 1 oz simple syrup
  • 2 grams powdered citric acid

Instructions

Simple Syrup

  1. Combine in a small pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is fully diluted, remove from the heat and let it cool. Transfer to a swing-top bottle and refrigerate until ready to use

Cucumber Spheres

  1. Place the water and sodium alginate in a large bowl
  2. Blend with an immersion blender on high speed until the sodium alginate is completely dissolved, without clumps
  3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large, clean round pan (rondeau) to allow a depth of 1-1/2″ to 2″ of alginate solution. Rest overnight in the refrigerator to let the alginate fully hydrate and all the bubbles to dissipate
  4. Juice the cucumbers in a juicer, strain through a cheesecloth lined fine mesh strainer. Reserve 1000 grams for making spheres.  Save the rest in an airtight mason jar and refrigerate for storage of the spheres
  5. Combine the juice, sugar, calcium lactate and salt in a separate bowl and blend with an immersion blender until completely dissolved
  6. Support the mold on a baking sheet and fill the cavities with the cucumber mix using a squeeze bottle or a large syringe. Don’t overfill the cavities because extra mold “flashing” will lead to misshapen spheres
  7. Freeze overnight or until completely solid and freeze a small baking sheet
  8. Pop the spheres out of the mold onto the sheet and return to the freezer to make sure they are completely frozen before finishing the spheres
  9. When ready to finish the spheres, Prepare two bowls with cold water for rinsing
  10. Remove the alginate bath from the fridge and carefully place on the stove without re-introducing bubbles. Warm the alginate slowly over the lowest heat. Gently stir, but do not introduce bubbles. Turn off the heat when the alginate is very warm to the touch. Do not simmer or boil
  11. Working in small batches remove 10-20 spheres from the freezer and disperse evenly into the rondeau pan, taking care to avoid allowing them to touch or stick to the bottom
  12. As they thaw they will form a membrane that will encapsulate the liquid center. This takes 10 to 30 seconds and they change color and become translucent as they cure
  13.  When fully encapsulated, remove them with the perforated spoon and place them a fresh bowl of cold water.  Stir gently to rinse
  14. Transfer and repeat the rinse cycle in the second bowl of fresh, cold water and discard any misshapen spheres
  15. Strain them out and transfer to the jar of chilled, reserved cucumber juice for storage
  16. Use the spheres within 8 hours

Making the Gin and Tonic

  1. Prepare an ice bath
  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly until the citric acid is dissolved
  3. Transfer to the 1/2 liter carbonizing container and chill thoroughly in the ice bath – about 15-30 minutes
  4. Carbonate according to the manufacturer’s instructions and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve

Assembling the Cocktail

  1. Chill a Collins glass or a cocktail tumbler in the refrigerator
  2. Use a perforated spoon to strain, rinse with cold water and gently fill the glass with about 100 of the cucumber spheres
  3. Gently pour in the carbonized gin and tonic cocktail
  4. Serve immediately with a glass straw

 

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