Skip to main content

Celery Stalker

5.0

(1)

Cocktail in a flute glass garnished with a celery slice.
Photo by Denny Culbert

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.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    2 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes 1

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

Preparation

  1. 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.

Cure-COVER.jpg
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.
Read More
The kimchi brine is the secret hero here; just a splash of it brightens the cocktail while deepening it with a little funky je ne sais quoi.
Gourmet’s version of this perfect summer drink mixes the ideal ratio of vodka with cranberry and grapefruit juices, right in the glass.
A riff on the Bicycle Thief cocktail, a citrusy, low ABV riff on a Negroni, this three-ingredient, party-ready twist features grapefruit soda.
With elderflower liqueur, mint, and prosecco, the effervescent Hugo spritz cocktail is a hit year round, but particularly on warm nights.
This Campari-spiked galette features the herbal aperitif, tart cherries, and floral citrus zest and is perfect for those who prefer bitter to sweet.
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.
An espresso-and-cumin-spiked rub (or brine) gives this smoked chicken impressive flavor.