4 Summer Cocktails To Use Up Your Cucumbers

I’ve just started growing cucumbers. Yes, I’m that guy now. A few months ago, my partner and I planted our first cucumber plant in the garden, and last week, we harvested the first three. Three cucumbers, grown in our backyard! As a very amateur gardener and someone with a noted ability to kill plants just by looking at them, I was utterly thrilled.

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And this bounteous crop got me thinking: I’m going to have to find a use for this new wealth of cucumber-y goodness, and I’m going to get bored of putting them in salads pretty soon. You know what I won’t get bored of, though? Cocktails. So, I’m combining the two and putting together a list of cucumber cocktails I’m going to be making this summer, in the hopes that you’ll join me. 

Spicy Cucumber And Mint Margarita 

Okay, full disclosure: I’ve already made this one. On Saturday night, I put together @aliforbesgeorge’s recipe for a spicy cucumber and mint margarita. The recipe takes a few minutes, but it’s easy stuff: Blend cucumbers, mint, and some jalapeño, strain it, combine it with tequila, Cointreau, lime, and agave syrup, shake, and strain again. Top with a cucumber garnish and some mint leaves, and add a Tajín rim if you so please (I didn’t have any to hand, much to my shame). 

This cocktail is gooood. The cooling effect of the cucumber and mint plays against the spice of the jalapeño perfectly, and the floral nature of the vegetable underpins the earthy tequila wonderfully. It’s seriously drinkable and doesn’t have any of the harshness that classic margs can have. Fully recommend.

Cucumber Gimlet

Cucumber and gin are perfect bedfellows, and the cucumber gimlet is an easy win. This recipe from Liquor combines gin with a simple syrup, lime juice, and muddled cucumbers, with a cucumber wheel to finish things off. 

Here, the florality of the cucumbers and gin complement each other beautifully: The gin brings a bitterness, while the cucumber brings a lightness, and all of it feels complex without being heavy. The lime juice and syrup, meanwhile, stop everything from getting too vegetal. This is one for when you want to feel very fancy without actually doing that much work. 

Irish Maid

Cucumber and Irish whiskey…bear with us here. The Irish Maid’s base ingredients might sound like they’d clash horribly, but in truth, they play together surprisingly well. The muddled cucumbers in this drink cut through the harsh tones of the whiskey, brightening it up – and the elderflower liqueur gives sweetness and liveliness, which is amped up even further by lemon juice and sugar syrup. This drink is, of course, a spin on an Irish Mule, and it’s layered, but not messy.

Kew Garden

You’ll need a couple of ingredients for a Kew Garden: This drink combines cucumber, mint, syrup, white rum, lime juice, St. Germain liqueur (or another elderflower liqueur), and club soda. What you’re rewarded with, though, is a drink that feels utterly refreshing. The Kew Garden is similar to the Irish Maid, but the white rum, club soda, and mint give it a brightness and a slightly more cohesive flavor profile. Perfect for warm, sunny afternoons.