Notes:
This recipe comes from my mom, Bonnie.For a different but equally refreshing taste, you can use basil leaves instead of mint.
For a more intense cucumber taste, use cucumber infused vodka. You can infuse by adding ½ cup peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber to 1 ¼ cups vodka. Store in a dark cool place. Shake once a day. Taste after 3 days. Infuse for up to 5 days, until desired intensity. Strain into glass jar, store in the refrigerator.
Cucumber Cooler
Ingredients
Cucumber Juice:
- 1 whole cucumber
- ~½ cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Cocktail:
- 7 lime wedges
- 7 mint leaves
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 2 oz cucumber juice
- 1.5 oz vodka
- Cold seltzer water
- lime, mint, and cucumber for garnish
Steps
- Make cucumber juice as follows:
- Peel and seed one whole cucumber (or use a seedless cucumber).
- Chop into 2 inch pieces, place in blender with about ½ cup water, or more as needed.
- Blend until frothy, adding water if it's too thick to blend.
- Strain with fine mesh strainer into glass jar or other container, pressing the solids to extract as much juice as possible.
- Discard the solids, set 2 oz of the juice aside for the cocktail, and store the remaining juice in the refrigerator.
- Make simple syrup as follows:
- Place the sugar and water in a small (ideally nonstick) pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.
- Set aside 1 oz for your cocktail, then store the rest in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- Muddle lime and mint with the simple syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker
- Add vodka, ice, and 2 oz of the cucumber juice. Shake well
- Pour over ice in a cocktail glass.
- Pour cold seltzer water to fill glass, stir gently.
- Garnish with a cucumber slice, lime wedge, and mint leaf.
Notes:
This recipe comes from my mom, Bonnie.For a different but equally refreshing taste, you can use basil leaves instead of mint.
For a more intense cucumber taste, use cucumber infused vodka. You can infuse by adding ½ cup peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber to 1 ¼ cups vodka. Store in a dark cool place. Shake once a day. Taste after 3 days. Infuse for up to 5 days, until desired intensity. Strain into glass jar, store in the refrigerator.