white buddha

2 oz Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Cucumber Syrup (1:1)
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Heavy Cream
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with. Double strain into a Highball glass containing 1+ oz soda water. Garnish with 5-6 thin cucumber slices on a skewer and add a straw.

After leaving Central, we bumped into Jabriel Donohue, Portland's Drambuie equivalent to Boston's Tara Feely, walking by on the street (Jabriel is also the creator of the Pantorium). When we mentioned that we were looking for a late night dining spot, he recommended Lúc Lác. Daniel, the bartender at Teardrop, had also recommended that spot the night before, so with that double nod of approval, we set out. Lúc Lác is a Vietnamese place that opened a year and a half a go and serves a mean bowl of Pho. What we were not told is that they have a cocktail program as well. Adam, one of the two co-owners, described how the Portland community taught him how to bartend, and his proficient technique seemed to indicate the high level of instruction he was gifted.
The menu item that caught my eye was the White Buddha which was a Ramos-style Fizz. The pairing of cucumber and Green Chartreuse reminded me of LUPEC Boston's Irma La Douce and perhaps the cucumber and Yellow Chartreuse Down at the Dinghy from Chez Henri's Rob Kraemer too. Here, the cucumber garnish contributed greatly to the drink's aroma. The creamy, carbonated sip yielded lime notes and vegetal ones from the cucumber. Next, the swallow offered tequila, Green Chartreuse, and cucumber flavors. The White Buddha was truly a delight to drink and complemented the cuisine superbly; indeed, I ran into someone at the Portland Cocktail Week USBG party a day later who was raving about this particular drink as well.