Zwack and Soda — Unicum lengthened with lime, cucumber and soda, the way the house pours it

Zwack and Soda

Unicum lengthened with lime, cucumber and soda, the way the house pours it

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 1 ozLime Juice
    Fresh
    Substitute: Lemon acceptable
  • 3 1/2 ozSoda Water
    Ice-cold, added last
  • 2 ozUnicum
    Poured first, lifted before the soda
  • 1/2 ozSimple Syrup
    Sugar and water 1:1

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz Unicum, 1 oz lime juice and 1/2 oz simple syrup to a highball and stir once
  2. Fill with ice and top with 3 1/2 oz cold soda
  3. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a sprig of mint

Technique Notes

Build it in the glass and stir once. Unicum is dense and forty-odd herbs deep, so it drops straight to the bottom and stays there unless you lift it before the soda goes in.

Why the Zwack and Soda Works

Unicum is bitter in a way that does not fade, so the sugar and lime are structural rather than decorative. Cucumber is the part that looks odd and is not: it gives the drink a cold green top note that keeps forty herbs from arriving all at once.