Tonique

Cody Pruitt | New York City

photo: Justin Sisson
Cucumber Cocktail Tonique Libertine NYC

At Libertine in New York City, the Tonique merges the French classic Calvados & Tonic with refreshing, vegetal cucumber tones via bitters and a cucumber-flavored tonic water. An apple-based aperitif underscores the flavor of the brandy, while Empirical Spirits’ Plum, I Suppose offers more fruit flavor and Salers provides bittersweet balance.

Ingredients

Serving: 1

  • 1 ounce Calvados, preferably Montreuil Sélection or Avallen
  • 1 ounce Calvados, preferably Montreuil Sélection or Avallen
  • 1/2 ounce Neversink Apple Apéritif or pommeau
  • 1/2 ounce Neversink Apple Apéritif or pommeau
  • 1/4 ounce Empirical Spirits Plum, I Suppose
  • 1/4 ounce Empirical Spirits Plum, I Suppose
  • 1/4 ounce Salers
  • 1/4 ounce Salers
  • 3 dashes Tropique bitters (see Editor’s Note)
  • 3 dashes Tropique bitters (see Editor’s Note)
  • 1 dash Bitter Truth cucumber bitters
  • 1 dash Bitter Truth cucumber bitters
  • 1 dash fleur de sel saline solution (1:5, fleur de sel to water)
  • 1 dash fleur de sel saline solution (1:5, fleur de sel to water)
  • cucumber tonic water, preferably Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Cucumber Tonic
  • cucumber tonic water, preferably Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Cucumber Tonic

Directions
  1. Mix the first six ingredients and pour over a large spear ice in a Collins or highball glass.
  2. Carefully pour the tonic water into the glass, using a bar spoon to fully incorporate while minimizing loss of carbonation.
Editor's Note

Tropique Bitters
100 milliliters Bittermens ‘Elemakule Tiki bitters
100 milliliters Amargo Chuncho Peruvian bitters

Stir to combine, then bottle and label. Keeps indefinitely at room temperature.

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