A Soho House Classic: the Eastern Standard

The classic Soho House Eastern Standard as they serve it.

Everyone has their go-to cocktail. Up until two years ago, my go-to “cocktail” was a great glass of red wine. That all changed when I had my first Eastern Standard at Soho House in Chicago. It is the perfect blend of freshness from the cucumber and mint with a little bite from the gin.

The Eastern Standard is not often found on drink menus in the United States- mainly because it was invented in London by Tom Kerr for Soho House Group. An Eastern Standard can be made with vodka or gin and while you can’t go wrong with either- the gin element allows the cucumber and mint flavor profile to shine through in a more enjoyable way.

This is a classic cocktail meant to be sipped on while sitting outside during the Chicago Spring. If you want to make this into a more party friendly cocktail, simply make your drink in a pitcher, add ice and top with chilled club soda. Below is the classic Eastern Standard recipe as told to Refinery 29, although I included a second recipe below that I have altered to taste.

When I first started to attempt to recreate the Eastern Standard at home, there was always something a little off about my version vs. the Soho House version. I found that if I infused my gin with cucumbers (fill a mason jar with cucumber, fill with gin and pop it in the fridge) it matched the exact taste of the Soho House version. Highly recommend!

Soho House Eastern Standard:

Ingredients:
50ml Bombay Sapphire gin
1 large lime, juiced
20ml sugar syrup
3 thin slices of cucumber
3 mint leaves

Instructions:
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and double-strain into a cocktail glass.

Garnish with a floating cucumber slice.

Ali’s Eastern Standard:

Ingredients:
3oz Hendrick’s Gin
1 large lime, juiced
20ml sugar syrup
6thin slices of cucumber, muddled
6mint leaves, muddled

Instructions:
Muddle cucumber and mint in a cocktail glass. Add lime, simple syrup and gin. Top with ice and stir. Double-strain into a coupe cocktail glass.

Garnish with a floating cucumber slice.