Juliet And Romeo Cocktail Recipe

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The Juliet and Romeo cocktail, a light, gin-based drink created by bartender Toby Maloney in 2007 at The Violet Hour in Chicago, was designed to appeal to those who don't necessarily like gin. Somehow simple yet complex, this cocktail draws distinct ingredients into a harmonious whole, from rosewater to angostura bitters to salty cucumber. The drink became a modern classic, with the unique name drawing you in nearly as much as the light, garden-esque flavor profile itself.

This Juliet and Romeo cocktail recipe from developer Michelle Bottalico has been adapted from the original, and you can easily follow the steps to make the cocktail at home in just a few minutes. Besides the rosewater, bitters, cucumber, and salt, the drink features fresh mint, freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, and of course, dry gin with juniper berry notes (Beefeater is preferred, but any choice of quality London dry gin will work).

The balanced, fragrant, bright, and slightly sweet flavor is enough to make this drink a hit, but the visual appeal is just as apparent. A rosewater-garnished mint leaf floats on the surface, and drops of bitters form red points on the light colored liquid. The striking Juliet and Romeo deserves to be included in a lineup of our favorite gin cocktails and, though it's meant as a refreshing warm weather cocktail, we'd be happy to sip it any time of year.

For this recipe, you will need peeled cucumber, fresh mint leaves, salt, dry gin, freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, and rosewater. Some of the rosewater will be mixed in the drink, and a drop will be use for garnish. You'll need a few drops of bitters for garnish as well.

Muddle the cucumber, mint, and salt at the bottom of a cocktail shaker.

Add the gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and 2 drops of the rosewater.

Add ice and shake for 10-12 seconds.

Fine strain the liquid into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish the drink with a floating mint leaf.

Garnish with 1 drop of rosewater on the leaf and 3 drops of bitters on the surface of the cocktail. Serve immediately.

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Muddling is a bartending technique used to release flavor and oils from ingredients such as herbs, fruit (especially citrus), and even vegetables like cucumber when making certain cocktails. Those ingredients are placed at the bottom of a cocktail shaker or sturdy mixing glass, and a tool called a muddler is used to gently press down on them and twist. Shaking or stirring alone won't release their flavors like muddling will, since muddling gently bruises or mashes the food.

A cocktail muddler is a long, narrow tool that looks like a long pestle. It's longer so it can reach the bottom of the shaker. If you don't have a dedicated muddler, that's okay. You can use a wooden spoon or even the handle of a rolling pin. Don't attempt to muddle in a delicate glass as the glass could easily break.

With muddling, a little goes a long way. You do not need to pulverize the ingredients. In fact, overzealous muddling can be counterproductive. Breaking down herbs, especially mint, too much can release chlorophyll instead of just the fragrant oils, making the cocktail bitter, which is why some bartenders prefer to slap herbs instead of muddling them.

Fine straining is a bartending technique that uses a second strainer between the cocktail shaker and the glass when pouring a cocktail. Just hold a small fine mesh strainer — like you would use for tea — over the glass when pouring. The shaken drink is already strained once either through holes in the lid of the strainer itself or by pressing an external cocktail strainer to the top of the shaker when pouring. That is often enough. However, fine straining is necessary when making cocktails that contain pieces of herbs or fruit that are small enough to pass through the holes of the first strainer. This can be the case when muddling ingredients, like in this Juliet and Romeo cocktail recipe. Without fine straining, pieces of lime and mint can end up in the drink, disturbing both the smooth aesthetic and the mouthfeel of the drink.

Not all muddled drinks need to be fine strained. Some drinks call for a light muddling of fruit right in the glass before stirring the drink in the glass. A smooth result is not expected. And technically, you don't have to fine strain a cocktail that's meant to be fine strained if you don't mind the bits. It will taste the same, especially if you drink it fast. 

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