Cucumber Vodka Soda

After the Grilled Salmon with Creamy Cucumber-Dill Salad I just made, I’ve been obsessed with cucumber. Plus it’s been in the mid- to high-80s lately, so some cool refreshment is definitely needed. Enter the Cucumber Vodka Soda. Vodka is my liquor of choice and this cocktail features it along with my new obsession. Perfection!

THIS here juice (yes, let’s call it juice) is so super refreshing on that hot summer day. It’s light, it’s cold, it quenches your thirst, it doesn’t make you feel terrible like a few beers or one margarita might. It’s everything your summer wants! It told me so.

The Ingredients

I had the vodka and seltzer water on hand, along with some sugar to make a batch of simple syrup (recipe below). That left me needing the seedless cucumbers and limes in order to make this cocktail. It took 3 cucumbers and 4 limes. The limes, of course, weren’t expensive, but the cucumbers were at $3.49 each. Could regular cucumbers be used? I would think so, but I haven’t tried them in this recipe. Yet 😉

The Process

The first step was to puree the cucumbers in my blender. I didn’t need to peel or see the cucumbers, but I did cut them into smaller pieces. Then I added a piece or two at a time to make sure the blender didn’t clog up.

I added a couple of tablespoons of water and had cucumber juice in a matter of minutes. Then I put the puree into a mesh strainer to drain. Some liquid came out, but I had to use a wooden spoon to press the puree against the sides of the strainer to get it all.

After that, I juiced the limes and mixed up everything except the seltzer in a large glass pitcher. I let that chill in the refrigerator for an hour then added the seltzer water and gave it a taste test. It was marvelous!

The entire process took just over an hour:

• 13 minutes to prep
• 1 hour to chill
• 1 hour 13 minutes total

Simple Syrup

The Hungry Pinner

A quick and easy-to-make staple of any well-stocked bar. This recipe yields approximately 12 ounces of simple syrup.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Cool 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 10 mins

Course Drinks

Servings 12 1-ounce servings

Calories 63 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar of your choice (I use organic sugar, which gives the syrup an amber tinge)

Instructions

 

• In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved (the mixture will become clear when the sugar is dissolved).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. The simple syrup can be refrigerated in a bottle or other airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

Keyword bartending, mixology, simple syrup, sugar