Active Time

　　2 minutes

　　Total Time

　　2 minutes

　　This is a cocktail that I’ve noticed popping up in other bars’ menus around the country, which is how you know it’s really good. Danny Valdéz has such a talent for making straightforward drinks that are nevertheless total bangers. The Celery Stalker is a simple concept: It's a sparkling cucumber gimlet, or a cucumber French 75 made with lime instead of lemon (since cucumber and lime are such a killer pairing), plus celery bitters to make it savory and vegetal. This easy cocktail remains incredibly popular and is one of the Cure originals we serve at our location in the New Orleans airport.

　　For another take on the French 75 from Cure, check out the Howitzer. This recipe was excerpted from ‘Cure’ by Neal Bodenheimer. Recipe courtesy of Danny Valdéz. Buy the full book on Amazon.

Ingredients

　　1 oz. (30 ml) Beefeater gin

　　½ oz.(15 ml) fresh lime juice

　　½ oz. (15 ml) simple syrup (1:1)

　　10 drops celery bitters, such as Bitter Truth

　　Sparkling wine, to top

　　Cucumber slice, for garnish

　　Combine gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and celery bitters in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled, then double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with the sparkling wine, garnish with the cucumber slice, and serve.

　　Excerpt from the new book Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em by Neal Bodenheimer and Emily Timberlake, Published by Abrams. Photography © 2022 by Denny Colbert. Buy the book from Amazon or Abrams.