Cucumber Cocktail is refreshing, slightly sweet, and has the most delicious all natural flavor from fresh cucumber juice. It features elderflower liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup, homemade cucumber juice, and the perfect amount of vodka.
Cucumber Cocktail Recipe
Cucumber cocktails are a perfectly nice and smooth drink. It’s not overly sweet and are totally refreshing… With a boozy kick, of course! They are very popular and many restaurants and bars that specialize in hand-crafted cocktails now feature their own Cucumber Cocktails. For those days and nights when I don’t feel like going out, though, I rely on my homemade recipe. (And there is almost always some cucumber juice in my freezer.)
Besides, this homemade recipe far surpasses anything I could overpay for at a bar! Homemade cucumber juice is the key here and what makes it the best. Once you have that on hand, you can make so many cocktails of varying ingredients and liquors. The best part of all is that you can always make extra and keep some cucumber juice in the freezer! I love being able to quickly thaw some whenever I want.
You can easily make the cucumber juice ahead of time, that way you can whip up a few glasses (or even a whole pitcher) in no time at all. This is a great cocktail for many parties and especially St. Patrick’s Day when you don’t want to just add green dye to the drink! The naturally refreshing flavor of cucumber pairs perfectly with the floral elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup, making each cool sip wholly satisfying on a sunny day. (Plus it’s naturally green!)
Ingredients You Need:
- Vodka – The rule of thumb when it comes to making any cocktail is quite simple. The overall quality of your cocktail depends on the quality of your liquor, so choose a good bottle of vodka when mixing this drink.
- Elderflower Liqueur – for the floral notes, I always recommend using St. Germain. If you have any leftover, use it to make a St. Germain Champagne Cocktail!
- Cucumber Juice – Chop the cucumbers, blend them up, strain the pulp, and enjoy. Making your own cucumber juice is so very easy to do, and it’s lovely to keep the leftover juice in your freezer. (See instructions below.)
- Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is simply the best option for flavor in cocktails! Avoid using concentrated juice or anything from a container because they do have a different flavor.
- Simple Syrup – You can add more or less of this ingredient to control the overall sweetness of your Cucumber Cocktail.
How To Make Cucumber Juice:
Wash and dry the cucumbers, then chop them into thick slices. Discard the tips.
Blend the cucumbers until you have a smooth puree with no chunks.
Fit a mesh vegetable bag over a strainer. Place the strainer over a container to collect the juices.
Pour the blended cucumbers into the bag and strain and squeeze out all of the juice that you can. Either use the juices right away or store them in the fridge or freezer. Avoid leaving the juice on the counter for longer than you need to.
Instructions For The Cocktail:
Combine all of the cocktail ingredients into a shaker and add ice.
Close the shaker lid and shake vigorously for a few seconds.
Add fresh ice to a glass and pour the cocktail into the glass through a strainer.
Alternatively, you could pour the entire content of the cocktail shaker into the glass. You’ll be using “dirty ice,” which isn’t actually dirty – it’s just the term for ice that’s been used in the cocktail shaker.
Frequently Asked Questions:
For this Cucumber Cocktail, it’s best to use English cucumbers. They have a thin skin so you don’t need to peel them. Plus, you will get the best and strongest flavor with all of the nutrients. A cocktail with health benefits? Sounds good to me!
When it comes to fresh cucumber juice, it’s best to consume it fresh, right after you made it. With that being said, you still can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours in an airtight container. If you need to store it for longer, freeze it.
I like to freeze it in portions and then, once it’s frozen, transfer the frozen juice cubes into a freezer zip-top bag. (If you have an ice cube tray that comes with an air-tight lid, you don’t need to transfer the frozen juice cubes into the freezer bag.) When you portion the juice, you can thaw just the right amount every time. Remember, it’s always best to thaw food and juices slowly in the refrigerator!
Some More Refreshing Cocktail Recipes:
Watermelon Margarita (Tequila)
Blackberry Spritz (Gin)
Classic Mojito (Rum)
Bay Breeze (Rum or Vodka)
Cucumber Cocktail
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Mesh produce bag
- Cocktail Shaker
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 3/4 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
- 1.5 oz cucumber juice
- 1/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
Instructions
- 2 average sized English cucumbers will give you about 16 oz of juice. You can make 10-12 cocktails with this much juice.
- Make sure to use the juice within 24 hours or freeze to use later.
To Make Cucumber Juice:
- Wash and dry the cucumbers. Cut off the tips and then chop the cucumber into thick slices.
- Place chopped cucumbers into the blender and blend until completely pureed, no cucumber chunks remain.
- Fit a mesh vegetable bag over a strainer (to hold it better). Place the strainer over a measuring cup or another container and the pour the blended cucumbers into the bag.
- Strain and squeeze the juice out as much as you can. Discard the pulp leftover in the bag. Use the cucumber juice right away or within 24 hours. If you want to store it longer, make sure to freeze it.
Cucumber Cocktail:
- Combine all of the ingredients for the cucumber cocktail in a cocktail shaker and add some ice.
- Close the shaker and vigorously shake for a few seconds.
- Add some ice to the glass and pour the cucumber cocktail into the glass through the strainer.ORIf you like to keep the "dirty ice" (i.e. the ice that is in the shaker when shaking the cocktail), you can pour in the entire content of the cocktail shaker into the glass instead of using fresh ice in the glass. Make sure to use just enough ice to shake the cocktail that will fit into the glass.
Nutrition
Debbie Rosa says
Delicious drink!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Debbie!
Rafael Bucker says
I made exactly as the recipe and it is so good
Brandy says
This was such a refreshing drink!