Smoking Pot Cocktail
The nonornamental — i.e., imbibable — part of the drink is made with cucumber syrup, fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice and vodka, a little bit like a sour or a gimlet. It’s a simple, sunny cocktail that’s bracingly tart then sweet, like a boozy Sour Patch Kid.
Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and immediately add cucumber slices. Press them into the liquid. Let stand until room temperature, about one hour, then strain.
Add 1 ounce of the strained cucumber syrup to a cocktail shaker, along with vodka, grapefruit juice and lime juice. Fill the shaker with ice, cap and shake for five seconds. Strain the cocktail into a highball glass with crushed ice.
If you want to create the smoking pot effect, place a ramekin containing a small amount of water into a clay pot. Using tongs, add dry ice (do not touch the dry ice with your bare hands). Set a glass containing the cocktail into the pot and decorate the rim with herbs.
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