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The philosophy behind Parker Luthman’s cocktail creation is taking drinks that have been popular for decades and differentiating them with a layer of East Asian flavors, a nod to his Korean-American heritage.
Behind the bar at Gift Horse and Oberlin, he’s bringing familiar libations into the 21st century. Luthman shared his recipe for a “GT Highball” with The Rhode Island Food Club newsletter, and the punchy, non-alcoholic mocktail is easily made at home for one or for a group. It uses genmaicha tea (if you can’t find it, he recommends grabbing any green tea with brown rice; you can usually find it at Asian grocery stores), a cucumber shrub, and tonic, and is finished in a highball glass with a lime wheel and sprigs of winter herbs.
And yes, you’ll make the cucumber shrub (recipe is below). Shrubs are vintage mixers that combine sugar, vinegar, and fruits, herbs, or vegetables. It’s a good way to add acidity to a drink without adding citrus.
“The punchiness comes from the acetic acid in the rice vinegar that is the base of the shrub. So that’s going to be all of those top notes in this very refreshing pre-dinner drink,” said Luthman. “And then there’s going to be a really nice, nutty finish from the tea itself, which carries all those flavors into a really nice toasted finish.”
Luthman’s creativity extends to drinks with alcohol as well, for those who aren’t looking for zero-proof. Check out his “Shucker Punch Too,” a mix of Rhode Island oyster, kimchi brine, and a shot of your liquor of choice, or his “Sea Bunny” cocktail, which mashes soju (a clear and colorless Korean distilled liquor made with rice, water, and nuruk) with limoncello, olive oil, vanilla, lemon, and celery.
Make one GT highball, or a batch for 10.
GT HIGHBALL
By Parker Luthman, Gift Horse and Oberlin
The general idea behind this No-ABV highball is to shy away from the more classic fall and winter ingredients, like cranberries, pomegranates, apples, and baking spices. Instead, it focuses on the combination of cucumber and toasty genmaicha tea, accented by your favorite seasonal herbs. This unconventionally savory, yet refreshing, pairing serves as the perfect pre-dinner mocktail, but also lends itself as a very food-friendly beverage during your meal. It also scales up perfectly to be served as a punch!
Ingredients for one GT Highball
- 3 oz genmaicha tea, or any other green tea with brown rice
- .5 oz herbed cucumber shrub
- 3 oz Fever Tree tonic water
- Glass: Highball
- Garnish: Lime wheel and winter herbs
- Method: Chill your glass in the freezer. When chilled, combine the ingredients together over ice and stir once to incorporate. Garnish with a lime wheel and your favorite seasonal herbs to infuse over time.
Genmaicha Tea: Brew the tea according to the instructions, but double the steeping time.
To make the Herbed Cucumber Shrub (Yields: ~3 - 4 Cups)
- 1 ½ cups English seedless cucumber, washed and chopped
- ¾ cup seasonal herbs (mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, etc…), picked and washed
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- How to assemble: Combine the cucumber, sugar, and your favorite seasonal herbs in a food processor or blender and pulse until they’ve formed into a paste, then let that mix sit for at least 2 hours. Then, combine the sugar mix with the water and rice vinegar in a blender and blend until the sugar is fully dissolved. Strain the shrub through a fine mesh strainer, package, label, and date. Keep refrigerated for one month.
GT Punch (If you want to serve 10 highballs)
- 32 oz genmaicha tea, or any other green tea with brown rice
- 6 oz herbed cucumber shrub
- 32 oz Fever Tree tonic water
- Glass: Punch Bowl
- Garnish: lime wheels & winter herbs
- Method: Freeze a large format ice mold in the freezer overnight. When ready to assemble, combine the tea and shrub in the bottom of the punch bowl and add the ice mold to chill and dilute. When guests arrive, top the punch with the tonic water to preserve the effervescence and garnish with the same herbs you used in your shrub and lime wheels.
This story first appeared in The Food Club, a free weekly email newsletter about Rhode Island food and dining. Already a member of the club? Check your inbox for more news, recipes, and features in the latest newsletter. Not a member yet? If you’d like to receive it via e-mail each Thursday, you can sign up here.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.