One of the great joys of summer, as every gardener knows, is a cool, crunchy, fresh cucumber. Often overlooked as an uninspiring salad staple, the humble cucumber actually has a distinct flavor of its own and a great freshness which is a delightful addition to many cocktails. Cucumber works naturally in savory-focused drinks incorporating ingredients like basil or celery, but it also goes extremely well with citrus, particularly lime juice, and can even work in sweeter drinks if it’s balanced carefully.
To go beyond a cucumber wheel in your G&T or a cucumber infused gin — those we love those too — we’ve got a selection of cucumber cocktails featuring gin, vodka, and tequila. They incorporate cucumber through muddling, use as a cucumber slice, and blending and straining, so get experimenting with these before summer ends to toast the flavor of the season.
Cucumber Summer Cocktail
by Blackbook Bar (Palm Springs, CA)
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Junipero Gin
- 2 Muddled cucumber wheels
- 0.5 oz Simple syrup
- 1 oz Lime
Recipe: Muddle cucumbers in a shaker, add the rest of the ingredients, then shake ingredients together with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar and pepper, and garnish with a mint leaf.
Cucumber Thyme Spritz
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Sacred Spring Vodka
- 1.5 oz Dry Vermouth
- Tonic Water
- Sparkling Water
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice and lined cucumber ribbons, then top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water. Garnish with a sprig of thyme,
Cucumber Margarita Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Fiero Serrano Tequila
- 1/2 large cucumber, blended and strained
- 0.5 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
- 0.5 oz Triple Sec
Method:
Shake the cucumber juice, Fiero Serrano Tequila, triple sec and lime juice in shaker. Rim a stemless margarita glass with salt, add cucumber garnish and ice cubes. Pour over ice.
