Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The 9 Best Cucumber Cocktails You Should Make

By
cucumber cocktail sitting next to lime and spoon.
Photo by Anna Teodoro on Unsplash

Cucumber’s cool factor makes it a dynamic cocktail ingredient. Whether incorporated to chill the pop of fellow ingredients or add some refreshing green notes to a drink, cucumbers ought to be readily available at your home bar.

Bartenders tend to cut cucumber up in three different ways — wheels, ribbons, and spears. The first is basically a disc sliced about 1/4-inch thick. The second is a bit more involved, made using a vegetable peeler to first remove a strip of peel, then some cucumber. You can fold it back and forth some before skewering it on a pick of some kind. A spear is essentially a pickle, usually cut in a 6-inch length. And that’s just the garnish talk.

Recommended Videos

We like to muddle with cucumbers, use cucumber juice, and even play around with other varieties, like Japanese cucumber. Its grassy flavor is an ideal match for many spirits, as well as a variety of fresh juices, fruits, herbs, and even cucumber beers. Go green, or greener, with these cucumber-tastic cocktails (including one mocktail).

Related

Kikori Bonsai

Kikori Bonsai cucumber vodka.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces

    Kikori Whiskey

  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • .75 ounces simple syrup
  • 3 shiso leaves
  • 3 slices Japanese cucumber

Method:

Muddle cucumbers and shiso in a shaker, then add all liquid ingredients with ice and shake vigorously. Fine strain into a glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a shiso leaf.

Cucumber Watermelon Margarita

Cucumber Watermelon Margarita.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 2 parts

    Milagro Silver Tequila

  • 1 part fresh lime juice
  • .75 part agave nectar (or simple syrup)
  • 4 watermelon chunks
  • 2 slices cucumber

Method:

Muddle watermelon and cucumber in a Boston shaker, add remaining ingredients. Shake and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with Tajin and watermelon and cucumber spears.

Pimm’s Cup Italiano

Two glasses of Pimm's Cup Italiano Cocktail.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • .5 ounces 

    Fernet-Branca 

  • 1 ounce Pimms No. 1 
  • Ginger ale 
  • Sliced cucumbers, lemon, mint, and strawberry 

Method:

Pour Fernet-Branca and Pimms No. 1 in a glass over crushed ice, top with ginger ale, and garnish with sliced cucumbers, lemon, mint, and strawberry.

Cucumber Quencher (Mocktail)

A tall glass of the mocktail Cucumber Quencher from Hotel Hugo.
Hotel Hugo

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces club soda
  • .75 ounces agave thyme syrup
  • .25 ounces cucumber juice
  • .25 ounces lemon juice
  • 6-8 mint sprigs
  • Oval cucumber slice for garnish
  • Thyme sprig for garnish

Method:

Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake well, then double strain into a highball, and top it off with club soda. Garnish with an oval cucumber slice and a thyme sprig.

Solento Eastside

Two glasses of the Solento Eastside Cocktail.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces Solento Blanco Tequila
  • .75 ounces lime juice
  • .5 ounces agave syrup
  • 4 slices of cucumber
  • 4 mint leaves

Method:

Gently muddle mint and cucumber and agave syrup. Add tequila, lime juice, and ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass, and garnish with mint and cucumber.

Ketel One Green Mary

Ketel One Green Mary Cocktail.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce

    Ketel One Vodka

  • 3.5 ounces freshly juiced cucumber and celery (equal parts)
  • .5 ounces fresh lime juice
  • 1 pinch of salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried chili flakes

Method:

Add all ingredients to glass, stir well, and add ice. Garnish with a salted cucumber slice.

Milagro Miche

Milagro Miche Cocktail.
(Created by Jaime Salas) Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 parts

    Milagro Silver

  • 2 parts Bloody Mary mix or Clamato
  • 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 dashes hot sauce
  • 1 part lime juice
  • 2 parts cucumber juice
  • 1-4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 parts Mexican Lager

Method:

Build in a pint glass over ice; stir. Garnish with lime wheels and tajin rim.

Block Party

A glass of Block Party Cocktail.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 parts

    Reyka Vodka

  • .5 part Dolin Blanc
  • 3 cucumber slices
  • .75 part lemon juice
  • .5 part simple syrup
  • 1 part watermelon juice

Method:

Muddle cucumber slices in the bottom of a shaker. Add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake and fine-strain into a highball glass with ice. Add 1 part sparkling wine (rosé is nice). Garnish with a cucumber slice wrapped in the glass.

EFFEN Pepino

A bottle of EFFEN Cucumber Vodka with three glasses of EFFEN Cucumber Pepino Cocktail.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1 parts

    EFFEN Cucumber Vodka

  • 1 splash of lime juice
  • 2 parts lemon lime soda
  • Tajin Clasico seasoning

Method:

Rim a glass with Tajin seasoning. Build over fresh ice; garnish with a cucumber wheel.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
The 5 best pork cuts, ranked: Here’s what you should be cooking
Which one is your favorite?
Pork in butcher counter

Bacon, ribs, ham, sausage, chops. For all of the incredible gifts pork provides, it's still one of the most under-appreciated meats on the market, and that just doesn't make sense. Not only is this gorgeous meat delicious, but in a world where grocery store prices are still absurdly high, and most proteins cost far more than they did just a few short years ago, trusty pork seems to be holding steadfast in its mission to make both our wallets and our mouths happy.

The gifts from the other white meat are hearty and diverse, ranging from tender and delicate, elegant bites to hearty, rich, and saucy barbecue fare and everything in between. But with all of the options behind the butcher counter, how do you know which pork cuts are best? How do you know which cut to choose when it comes to impressing your guests at this weekend's dinner party? Or which to select for the best pulled pork sandwiches that your kids will devour with glee?

Read more
The amazing 3-ingredient cocktails every home bartender should know how to make
Wow your guests with these easy, elegant cocktails
Negroni cocktail orange

It seems there's a holy trinity in many things, from the spiritual realm to the culinary world. In the arena of cocktails, there are many, many of these lauded trios. Turns out, when you have a great base spirit or two, you don't need much else to create something that tastes divine.

The 3-ingredient cocktail is a wondrous thing, both easy to make and layered in terms of flavor. You can achieve an unexpected amount of depth when mixing with just three ingredients, provided you get your approach, ingredients, and ratios in order. These are classic drinks you can make in just minutes and make them a go-to for any situation, whether you're really into rye whiskey or prefer something more tropical.

Read more
You should know how to make these incredible sauces
Mastering these sauces will make you look like a pro in the kitchen
Bechamel sauce over lasagna

A good sauce is a core component of culinary culture. Knowing how to make a handful of them can elevate your kitchen game to unforeseen heights. Often, a good sauce is the star of the show. After all, what would Thanksgiving turkey be without gravy? Or Eggs Benedict without hollandaise?

Now, we don't expect you to pull a Bearnaise sauce out of your hat at a moment's notice. But you should be able to whip up a solid tomato-based sauce for pasta, or a good teriyaki sauce for rice and veggies or skewered proteins. We know, there are great pre-made options out there, from complex fish sauce to throw-it-on-anything Japanese barbecue sauce. Yet, you know as well as we do that when you pull it off from scratch, it's more rewarding and can even taste better.

Read more