Acidified cucumber juice, mint syrup & soda water — Rasa Burlingame
Rasa (the word means 'essence' or 'flavour' in Sanskrit) is Ajay and Reena Jain's Bay Area institution — a refined South Asian restaurant in Burlingame that has earned consistent critical acclaim for its modern take on Indian cooking. Their Zero Proof Beverages section is one of the most considered in the Bay Area Indian dining scene. The Mint Cucumber Cooler 2.0 is the evolution of an original version — the '2.0' signals that the kitchen has refined the recipe, notably by 'acidifying' the cucumber juice with a touch of citric acid solution rather than lemon juice, giving the drink a cleaner, more precise tartness that doesn't cloud or compete with the cucumber's delicate flavour.
Citric acid gives a cleaner, more stable tartness than lemon juice and won't change the colour of the cucumber juice. Find it at homebrew stores or Amazon (it's widely used in cooking and cocktails). Use an English or Persian cucumber — they have fewer seeds and more delicate flavour than standard cucumbers. The mint syrup keeps for 5 days refrigerated.
Rasa in Burlingame has built one of the most accomplished Indian cocktail programmes in the Bay Area. The bar draws from the restaurant's coastal Indian kitchen — kokum, raw mango, fresh turmeric, curry leaf — and creates drinks that feel like a natural extension of the tasting menu. An essential stop for anyone exploring modern Indian hospitality in the South Bay.
Visit rasaburlingame.com