Cucumber Lemonade Cocktail
It is August and it is hot! We were looking to accomplish two things this weekend – find a use for some excess cucumbers we had on hand and to relax! So, we decided to try out a Cucumber Lemonade Cocktail! We were super pleased with the result and it is nice to have something to make outside of pickles and cucumber salad!
To make a cucumber lemonade cocktail, you need to combine cucumber juice, lemonade, sweetener and your alcohol of choice. This is a nice way to use up cucumbers from the garden when you need a break from cucumber salads and sandwiches!
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Step 1 – Make a Simple Syrup
To make this recipe, you need to make simple syrup. The name does not lie, simple syrup truly is simple! All it is is sugar/water mixture. I did a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar. Put the water in a small pan on the stove, warm up for a few minutes over low/medium heat and add sugar. Mix until dissolved and you are done!
This simple syrup allows you to sweeten your drink without having to deal with trying to get the granules of sugar to dissolve, which can be a real pain.
You can also change the ratios of the simple syrup. You could do 1 cup of sugar to a half cup of water, to make it more potent to water your drink down less. It is really up to you, but I have found the 1:1 ratio works great for us.
Step 2 – Make Cucumber Juice
Cucumber juice gives this a nice refreshing summer feeling. Making it was simple and doesn’t take too long. I washed, sliced and seeded two cucumbers from the garden. Added the slices and 1 cup of water to my food processer. Processed until it was liquid and strained through a mesh strainer. Let sit in the strainer for 15 minutes or until the kids are asleep, and you’re ready to assemble. If purchasing store bought cucumbers, you may wish to peel them if they have a waxy coating!
Step 3: Choosing Your Alcohol for your Cucumber Lemonade Cocktail
When making your cocktail, you’ll have a lot of choices for what alcohol to add. Lets chat on some of those choices, but its important that you choose something that you like!
- Rum – we used rum in our cocktail, because its my go-to mixer.
- Tequila – this one is not for me, but if tequila is something you enjoy – this would work well!
- Vodka – this is my personal runner up. Especially with all the different flavored vodkas now, there are probably some delicious choices out there!
- Bourbon
Step 4: Assembling the Cucumber Lemonade Cocktail
You’ve done all the hard work! Now, in a large pitcher, mix together 2 cups cucumber juice, 1/2 cup simple syrup, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 3 shots of your alcohol of choice. Pour over ice and enjoy! You could garnish with cucumber slices or lemon slices. You could play with the ratios to get make this more tart, more boozy, more cucumbery…whatever floats your boat! Remember, this is your drink, so make it the way you like it!
What Cucumbers Make the Best Juice?
I think the best cucumbers to use to make the juice are the cucumbers you have on hand. Cucumbers that come from the garden, or a farm stand would always be my first choice. But if that’s not an option, we can work with whatever you’ve got! However, if you use cucumbers that come from a store, be sure to peel them before making juice. Cucumbers purchased in store can have a waxy coating that I personally would not want to consume.
Other Cocktail Mix-In Ideas
Here is a list of other ideas you could add to this cocktail to switch it up.
- Lime juice
- Green apple juice
- Berry juice
- Ginger
- Celery juice
- Mint
- Watermelon juice
- Pineapple Juice
I definitely plan on using some of these combinations next summer when we are using up extra cucumbers! I also can’t wait to try to slushy them in KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker. If you have a KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker check out this article on how to slushy your drinks! Wine and Seltzer Slushies with KitchenAid
Spiked Cucumber Lemonade
Equipment
- Blender
- Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
Simple Syrup
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Water
Cucumber Juice
- 2 Cucumbers, Washed & Sliced Can remove seeds if large cucumber with a lot of seeds. Slice in half length wise and scoop out with a spoon. If using store bought cucumbers, peel before using.
- 1 Cup Water
Lemonade
- 1/2 Cup Bottled Lemon Juice
- 3 Shots Rum Can Substitute Vodka, Gin, etc.
- 2 Cups Cucumber Juice (made from ingredients above)
- 1/2 Cup Simple Syrup (made from ingredients above)
Instructions
Simple Syrup
- Put water into a pan on stove over low/medium heat
- Once warm (but doesn't need to be boiling) add sugar
- Mix until dissolved, let cool
Cucumber Juice
- Wash and slice cucumbers
- Blend cucumber slices and water into blender until smooth
- Strain Cucumbers through a mesh strainer into a bowl or measuring cup
Lemonade
- Combine the simple syrup, cucumber juice, bottled lemon juice, rum into a pitcher and mix
- Serve over ice
What Next
If you enjoyed this cucumber lemonade rum cocktail, I’d love to hear about it. Find me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram or leave a comment below!
If you have extra cucumber juice, check out my article on freezing cucumber juice for enjoying it later!
