The gin Gimlet's a classic. I remember it being my first cocktail of choice when I moved to NYC and was working at a printshop on the Lower East Side. Those Friday nights were stellar. We'd run up Eldridge Street for Chinese dumplings, sold 6 for a buck and then out for drinks, probably as many as we could get in before happy hour ended. 

Such a simple cocktail: gin, lime juice, and simple syrup (though in those days, I'm nearly 100% certain mine were made with Rose's Lime). Add mint, and you have a Southside cocktail. But add cucumber, and you have something that hits so many notes, a cocktail that's herbal, fresh, and completely (if maybe too) quaffable. I've been mixing these up on the regular lately, and they're a crowd pleaser. Especially as a precursor to Thai and Vietnamese dinners.

Eastside Cocktail

Recipe from imbibe.

2 oz gin
1 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
8 mint leaves
2 slices cucumber + 1 thin slice for garnish (We used Persian cucumbers.)

Muddle cucumber and mint in bottom of a shaker. Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake well and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a thinly sliced cucumber wheel.