Gordon’s Breakfast is Sam Ross’ savory spinoff of Gordon’s Cup, a Sasha Petraske original featuring the bright crispness of gin, cucumber, and lime. The Breakfast version ups the flavor quotient with hot sauce and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, resulting in a drink with a character akin to a clarified Bloody Mary.
When making the original Gordon’s Cup, we like the cleaner look of the drink when the limes are muddled in the shaker, rather than the glass. But for the Gordon’s Breakfast we prefer the messier, more fragrant presentation of limes muddled in the drinking glass and topped with the rest of the ingredients. The choice is yours!
The precise amount of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce to use is a matter of personal preference and the subject of evergreen debate. We’ve heard that the earliest preparation from when it was first served at Milk + Honey used Cholula, among the thickest of hot sauces. If you use a similarly viscous hot sauce, you might find that you need a bit more of it than a thinner sauce like Tabasco.