When I was a youngster of 21 or so, I did time as a bartender. Every so often I would be scheduled to work Sundays, which were incredibly slow. One afternoon the air conditioning was out, and it had to have been 95 degrees out. Patrons didn’t want anything sophisticated, they wanted something cold and refreshing. Faced with the prospect of seeing my tips walk out the door, I came up with this “cocktail”.
I came up with this incredibly refreshing drink. It’s not sophisticated, it’s just good. Make a pitcher for a party, and I guarantee it will be the first thing you run out of. Be warned, you must know how to boil water to make this cocktail.
Food Dudes Cucumber Lemonade Martini
1/2 oz fresh mint-infused simple syrup
2 oz good quality vodka
8 thin slices good cucumber
Fresh squeezed Lemonade
Make Mint Simple syrup by boiling together 1-cup sugar and 1-cup water boiled until dissolved. Add 1-cup fresh mint leaves and steep for 30 minutes, then strain out the leaves. Chill before using. Keeps in the refrigerator for weeks, ready whenever you need to dazzle your friends with a refreshing drink.
Muddle Ice, about ½ oz. simple syrup, and thinly sliced cucumber together in a shaker. Add 2 oz. or so of vodka and lemonade. Shake and serve in a tall glass with ice. Smooooooooth.
Notes: Use fresh squeezed lemonade if you’d like, but if you are feeling lazy Columbia Gorge Organic is the best I have found. I get mine at New Seasons Market.
Muddling – smoosh it around, bruising the cucumber with the ice to get it to release its oils & juice.
This is a little bit like the Pimm’s Cup I was served last summer in London, albeit more elegant. That one had (of course) Pimm’s, and the addition of cut-up citrus, and, I think, some gin. All I know is, I let my daughter, then 14, have one; we were at the home of people we didn’t know well and there was much milling about and refilling of drinks, and the next thing I knew, there’s my girl, sprawled on a couch, laughing and laughing and laughing. Not at all, I don’t think, a bad way to experience one’s first drunk.
Great. Just great. I knew I shouldn’t have posted this. It is so hot outside I was thinking it was time to make a nice Friday batch of this myself. I go to New Seasons for some fresh Mint only to have the guy tell me that for some reason people have come in and bought everything they have this afternoon. Took me three stores to find it.
The power of the blog…
Andina has a similar recipe using Gin. Very original.
This sounds great, and where I live (SF area) it’s hot as hell out right now. Think I’ll give it a try!
Oh my god! This drink is fantastic! We made several pitchers of it and it was the hit at our bbq before the parade. Some of my guests skipped the parade and stayed until it was gone.
Kat Von D…
I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….
aw, my yard’s full of mint… it’s the vodka that I couldn’t get on Sunday.
Many liquor stores are open on Sunday:
http://www.oregon.gov/OLCC/docs/liquor_store_list.pdf
Thanks for bringing this topic back up. I am always looking for refreshing summer drinks.
I’ve been doing lots of blender fresh fruit smoothies (with protein & weight gain powder supplements in them) and will add a peeled & seeded cucumber next batch. (I had gotten an e-mail this week singing the praises of cucumbers, was looking for a way to get the nutrition into my body! Will try it with rum first, then kick over to vodka if disappointed.)