English garden cocktail

This English garden cocktail is a lovely light drink, perfect for sipping on a warm day. Combining gin, elderflower, apple and cucumber, the ingredients are quintessentially British, hence the name, with gently aromatic flavors. You could easily make it in batches for a garden party, too.

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As a Brit, I am all too aware of the stereotype image of us obsessing over the weather. Because let's face it, a lot of the time it's not that great, so it does tend to impact plans. That said, there are at least a few nice summer's days here and there, and when they happen, most people are all too ready to enjoy them.

A classic cocktail for those warmer days in England is a Pimm's cup cocktail which is light and sippable (though it depends on the bartender!). I would sometimes joke they are less popular in Scotland, where I grew up, as we have less warm days. 

This lovely drink is in a similar vein - not too strong, balanced out with a mixer (in this case juice). And in both cases, you can't forget the garnishes.

Unlike Pimm's, it's a drink where very little is known about the origin. I say very little, but actually I can't find anything.  These days it's a modern classic, albeit a less well known one. Though to me, it should be one that's more widely enjoyed.

Apple juice or apple cider?

One of the main ingredients in this cocktail is what would be called cloudy apple juice in the UK. This means a freshly pressed juice with some fruit solids in there.

British apples are some of the best (OK I am biased, even being based in New England these days) and it's lovely to see the different varieties being celebrated more these days. You can get some amazingly good fresh apple juices too, not just in the farmer's market but at supermarkets.

In the US, on the whole apple juice means the filtered and pasteurized juice. It's generally shelf-stable and often made from concentrate. Fine for some things, but certainly less good on flavor.

The closest to cloudy apple juice in the US is instead apple cider. Apple cider (the US kind) is freshly squeezed, unpasteurized and with some fruit solids in there. It has a more brown color and can be spiced, though that's not what you want here. Sometimes, it is only available during apple picking season though we can get it year-round (I am in apple country). 

Apple cider is a little darker in color - more of a brown - than British cloudy apple juice. I'm not sure if the British version maybe has less solids in there or is stabilized with a little citric acid, but whatever the reason, it's paler and a little more "freshly bitten-into apple" than "slightly spiced apple" flavor, as best I can describe it. 

That said, apple cider is your best choice in the US to make this drink. In the UK, use cloudy apple juice.

Other ingredient options

Gin is definitely the non-negotiable here, but other ingredients have a little more flexibility. In many recipes, the elderflower comes from elderflower cordial (essentially a simple syrup) which I love and miss. Since it's pretty close to impossible to find in the US, the best alternative is elderflower liqueur. 

Elderflower liqueur is of course alcoholic, unlike cordial, so it makes the drink slightly stronger. But flavor-wise, it is relatively similar and both give that nice aromatic edge.

While not in all versions, to me you can't skip the cucumber. It's great for garnishing the glass, especially in ribbons around the side, but I also like some shaken with the main drink to get more of the flavor. Cucumber is actually one of the things Hendrick's recommends as a pairing for their gin, and it's great here (both the cucumber and Hendrick's - yes it's a Scottish gin but the flavor is great for this).

I have tried this both with and without citrus and definitely feel it's best with a touch of lime in there (even if I forgot it in the photos). The citrus helps cut through the sweeter elderflower. You could use lemon if you prefer, but I think lime pairs better personally. 

Finally, I like a few mint leaves in there too for a little extra freshness, but you can skip these if you prefer.

This English garden cocktail is a lovely combination of summer ingredients, and is perfect for sipping in the sun. It's light, bright, gently aromatic and with only the slightest sweetness. Perfect with tea sandwiches on the side, or simply as it is. 

Try these other cocktails perfect for summer

• Passion fruit margarita
• Lillet spritz
• Raspberry caipirinha
• Blackberry bourbon smash
• Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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