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.
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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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
Cheers!
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Like this recipe? Try these below, too!
Blueberry Cucumber Moscow Mules
Other Muddled Cocktails
- Strawberry Mint Smash – Seasonal Cravings
- Cranberry Orange Gin Smash – Vanilla and Bean
- Muddled Honey Grapefruit Cocktail – Rachel Hollis
- Blackberry Bramble – Feasting at Home
Cucumber Cooler Cocktail Recipe
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
- Muddle lime, mint, sugar and cucumbers in the bottom of a shaker until cucumbers and lime are broken up.
- Add ice and gin. Shake.
- Double strain into a glass with ice. Top with tonic. Stir.
- Cheers!
Notes
A London Dry gin in this is great, or a floral or citrus gin!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: .1gSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 24.7gFiber: .6gSugar: 22.7gProtein: .3g
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