London Road

The London Road is a sophisticated and highly refreshing gin-based cocktail perfect for warm weather. It elegantly balances the botanical notes of gin with the coolness of muddled cucumber and aromatic mint. Elderflower cordial adds a delicate floral sweetness, while apple and lime juices provide a crisp, fruity, and tart backbone, resulting in a complex yet accessible long drink.
London Road

Preparation

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Preparation time
Difficulty

Drink Classification

This drink is classified as a modern classic cocktail. It was created in the early 2000s and is recognized for its use of fresh, muddled ingredients, a hallmark of that era's cocktail renaissance. It falls into the category of long, refreshing gin drinks.

Serving

This is a tall, refreshing drink served cold over ice in a chilled Highball glass. Its moderate alcohol content makes it an excellent choice for a long, leisurely sip.
Serving size
Approximately 250 ml / 8.5 oz (before ice)
Alcohol content
Approximately 12-15% ABV
Alcohol strength
Serving temperature
Cold
Glass type
Highball or Collins
Glass treatment
Chilled

Backstory

Created in the early 2000s by the late, great Douglas Ankrah at his influential LAB (London Academy of Barmen) bar in Soho, London. Ankrah is more famously known for inventing the Pornstar Martini, but the London Road is another brilliant testament to his skill in creating balanced, vibrant, and popular modern classics that championed fresh ingredients.
Origin
London, England, created in the early 2000s by Douglas Ankrah.

London Road

The London Road is consistently known by its original name, crafted by Douglas Ankrah, and has not developed any common alternative names or nicknames in the cocktail community.
Original name
London Road

Characteristics overview

This cocktail is a symphony of fresh, green aromas and flavors like cucumber and mint, with a floral aroma from elderflower and a botanical gin backbone. Its smooth texture and pale green hue make it an elegant and highly refreshing spring or summer sipper.
Flavor
Herbal, refreshing, cucumber, minty, floral, botanical, crisp, slightly sweet
Aroma
Fresh mint, cool cucumber, gin botanicals, elderflower
Taste balance
Balanced sweet and sour, prominent herbal notes
Aftertaste
Clean, herbal, refreshing, crisp
Fizziness
None
Color appearance
Pale green, translucent, slightly cloudy
Texture
Smooth, light-bodied, crisp
Seasonality
Very refreshing, spring, summer

Flavor intensity & Experience

The flavor is moderately intense, with a refreshing balance between sour lime, sweet elderflower, and vibrant herbal notes. It is a still, non-creamy drink with a light alcohol presence, designed for easy drinking.
Sweetness
Saltiness
Sourness
Bitterness
Spiciness
Fruitiness
Creaminess
Carbonation

Ingredients

This cocktail requires a quality London Dry Gin as its base, complemented by fresh cucumber and mint. The sweetness and flavor complexity come from elderflower cordial and pressed apple juice, with fresh lime juice providing the necessary tart balance.
  • London Dry Gin50 ml / 1.7 oz
    Plymouth gin is also an excellent choice, offering a slightly softer profile.
  • Fresh Cucumber Slices3-4 thin slices
    Use fresh, unwaxed cucumber for the best flavor.
  • Fresh Mint Leaves8-10 leaves
    Spearmint is preferred. Be gentle when muddling to avoid bruising the leaves too much, which can release bitter compounds.
  • Elderflower Cordial15 ml / 0.5 oz
    Can be substituted with St-Germain elderflower liqueur, but you may want to slightly reduce the quantity as it's sweeter and alcoholic.
  • Fresh Lime Juice20 ml / 0.7 oz
    Freshly squeezed is essential for brightness.
  • Pressed Apple Juice20 ml / 0.7 oz
    Use a high-quality, cloudy pressed apple juice for better texture and flavor, not clear juice from concentrate.

Ice type

  • Cubed

Mixing equipments

You will need a standard cocktail shaking set, including a shaker, jigger, and strainers. A muddler is also essential to extract the flavors from the fresh cucumber and mint.
  • Cocktail shaker for chilling and diluting the ingredients.
  • Muddler for gently pressing the cucumber and mint.
  • Jigger for accurate measurement of liquids.
  • Hawthorne strainer and fine mesh strainer (for double straining) to ensure a smooth, pulp-free drink.

Instructions

The preparation involves gently muddling fresh cucumber and mint before shaking all ingredients with ice. The cocktail is then double strained into an ice-filled highball glass for a clean finish and garnished for aroma and visual appeal.
1. Prepare the glass: Chill a Highball or Collins glass. Use a vegetable peeler to slice a long ribbon from a cucumber and place it inside the glass, pressing it against the wall. Fill the glass with fresh cubed ice.
2. Muddle ingredients: In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, add the cucumber slices, mint leaves, and fresh lime juice. Muddle gently just to press out the juice and oils without shredding the mint.
3. Add liquids: Pour the gin, elderflower cordial, and pressed apple juice into the shaker with the muddled ingredients.
4. Shake: Fill the shaker three-quarters full with cubed ice. Seal tightly and shake vigorously for about 12-15 seconds, or until the outside of the shaker is well-frosted.
5. Strain: Double strain the cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer into the prepared, ice-filled glass. This removes small pieces of mint and cucumber.
6. Garnish: Garnish with a fresh, crisp mint sprig. Serve immediately.

Garnishing

The drink is elegantly garnished with a cucumber ribbon spiraled inside the glass and a fragrant sprig of fresh mint. These garnishes enhance both the visual appeal and the fresh aroma of the cocktail.
  • Cucumber Ribbon: Use a vegetable peeler to create a long, thin ribbon of cucumber and place it inside the glass before adding ice.
  • Fresh Mint Sprig: Slap a fresh mint sprig between your palms to release its aroma before placing it in the top of the drink.

Dietary Information

This cocktail is naturally free from common allergens like dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, and gluten (assuming distilled gin). It is also caffeine-free and suitable for both vegan and vegetarian diets.
✓ Contains alcohol
✓ Caffeine-free
✓ Dairy-free
✓ Egg-free
✓ Soy-free
✓ Nut-free
✓ Gluten-free
✓ Vegan-friendly
✓ Vegetarian-friendly

Nutrition information

This is a relatively light cocktail, with about 170 kcal per serving. Its sugar and carbohydrate content are moderate, coming from the natural sugars in the juices and elderflower cordial.
Calories
Approximately 160-180 kcal / 670-750 kJ
Calories level
Carbohydrates
Approximately 10-12 grams
Carbohydrate level
Sugar
Approximately 8-10 grams
Sugar level

Occasions

With its light and refreshing character, the London Road is ideal for daytime events and warm weather. It's perfectly suited for garden parties, summer barbecues, brunch, or simply as a revitalizing afternoon aperitif.
  • Summer Party
  • Garden Party
  • Brunch
  • Afternoon Drink
  • Aperitif

Pairing suggestions

The London Road's fresh, herbal, and not-too-sweet profile makes it an excellent companion for light and summery fare. It pairs beautifully with seafood, salads, and delicate appetizers, as it won't overpower their flavors. Its cucumber notes make it a natural match for dishes featuring the same ingredient.
  • Light appetizers
  • Seafood canapés
  • Cucumber sandwiches
  • Grilled white fish
  • Summer salads with vinaigrette dressing

The London Road: A Refreshing Gin Journey

The London Road is a wonderfully refreshing gin cocktail from the mind of Douglas Ankrah, the creator of the Pornstar Martini. It combines the botanical notes of gin with fresh cucumber and mint, balanced by the floral sweetness of elderflower and the crispness of apple and lime juice. Served tall and elegantly garnished, it's a sophisticated sipper perfect for warm weather. It offers a cleaner, more herbaceous alternative to sweeter fruit-forward drinks, embodying the fresh-ingredient focus of early 21st-century mixology.

Similar Cocktails

Gin Basil Smash

Uses basil instead of mint and lemon juice and simple syrup instead of lime, elderflower, and apple juice. The result is a more direct, pungent herbal sour.

Southside

A classic Prohibition-era cocktail featuring gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and mint. The London Road is a more complex, modern evolution with added cucumber, elderflower, and apple.

Elderflower Collins

A much simpler built drink containing gin, lemon juice, elderflower liqueur or cordial, and topped with soda water. It lacks the muddled fresh ingredients of the London Road.

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