Skip to Content

Cucumber Cooler Cocktail Recipe

Share this...

Last Updated on June 10, 2023 by Leah Hall

This classic Cucumber Cooler is a great light and refreshing summer cocktail. Like adult spa water, the fruit is muddled for a quick and light sip on hot summer days.

 

What is a Cooler Cocktail?

A cooler is usually a sweet, fruity, sometimes bubbly cocktail, especially in the summer. A cooler will be light and crisp, and sometimes have less alcohol than other cocktails.

Cocktail being double strained into tall glassl ined with cucumber slices, blue glass with mint behind

This post contains affiliate links for products that we think you as readers might find useful, and we make commission off of these! For more details about our affiliates, click our Disclosure and Contacts Page.

 

What is the Difference Between a Cooler and and Spritzer?

A cooler is different from a spritzer because a spritzer usually has sparkling water with wine or sparkling wine, and drier than a cooler. Spritzer has a tendency to be less complex than a cooler as well.

Cocktail being double strained from shaker into glass

Cucumber Cooler

When it starts to get really warm and summery , there is nothing better than a really refreshing cocktail. In comes the Cucumber Cooler. Coolers are a classic cocktail category, which is not quite as simple to define.I defined a spritzer above, but Coolers are different!

Cocktail being double strained into glass with clear ice

Commonly coolers consist of soda or other carbonated liquids such as tonic water or ginger ale. They also have a spirit and then herbs or fruit.

Tonic water being poured into tall glass with cucumber slices and clear ice cubes

In the cocktail book Recipes for Mixed Drinks (1917), Hugo R. Ensslin lists variations of Coolers, which have only the of carbonated liquid and a spirit in common with each other. In some there is citrus juice, others can have sodas, ginger beer, club soda. 

Tonic being poured into glass lined by cucumber slices

How do You Muddle Cucumber?

Place the cucumber slices in the shaker, along with any fresh herbs and other ingredients that require muddling. Press the muddler gently into the cucumber slices while rotating your wrist. This will break it up the best.

tall gin cocktail in glass, glass lined with cucumber slices

This Cucumber Cooler features the flavors of cucumber, but also mint, grapefruit and the floral and herbal tones of gin along with fresh lime juice. We also added some Suze, which is a vegetal liqueur, with some citrus flavors added in, which was perfect for this cocktail!

tall glass cocktail lined with cucumber slices, topped with mint garnish put there by a hand

Cucumber slices: You may want to eat them out of your drink right away, (because, hot summer and all) but don’t do it!  After a little time swimming in the lime juice, gin, and tonic , they seem to pickle ever so slightly, stay crisp, and are a great end of drink treat!

tall glass lined with cuucmber slices, mint garnish, blue glass behind filled with mint

What Gin is Good with Cucumber?

Adding cucumber to your gin cocktails brings a fresh sometimes floral note, and so it typically goes with fresh, smooth and summery gins. Hendrick’s is a great choice, any London Dry, or 135 East Gin!

Cucumber cooler cocktail with glass lined by cucumber slices, mint garnish

Cheers!

 

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and tag #gastronomcocktails so we can see all the wonderful recipes YOU recreate from this site!

 

You can also subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss a delicious recipe again!

 

Like this recipe? Try these below, too!

Blueberry Cucumber Moscow MuleBlueberry Cucumber Moscow Mules

 

Blueberry Cucumber Gimlet

 

Other Muddled Cocktails

tall glass lined with cuucmber slices, mint garnish, blue glass behind filled with mint
Yield: 1

Cucumber Cooler Cocktail Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This Cucumber Cooler is a great summer cocktail, and is so refreshing with gin, cucumber, lime, mint, and tonic. Easy and so tasty!

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 6 mint leaves
  • 4-6 cucumber slices
  • 1/4 of a lime (wedge or slices)
  • 1.50 ounces Gin
  • 4 ounces Tonic Water

Instructions

  1. Muddle lime, mint, sugar and cucumbers in the bottom of a shaker until cucumbers and lime are broken up.
  2. Add ice and gin. Shake.
  3. Double strain into a glass with ice. Top with tonic. Stir.
  4. Cheers!

Notes

A London Dry gin in this is great, or a floral or citrus gin!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: .1gSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 24.7gFiber: .6gSugar: 22.7gProtein: .3g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Interested in stocking your own home bar? Make sure to see our favorites at our Amazon Store!

 

If you liked this post, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and of course free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all the recipes delivered to your inbox when we post), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

 

Gastronomblog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Share this...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe