This cucumber gin cocktail is light, refreshing, and perfect for summer. Made with fresh lime, thyme, and cucumber, it's easy to batch or make into a mocktail.
It's easy to get into the same old habits when you grow a garden. Cucumbers, for instance, are usually tossed into a salad or made into pickles. End of story. Herbs, like thyme, often don't get a ton of use until later in the year when I make soups and stews, and more meat-centered dishes.
But these ingredients don't have to wait for fall soups or a pickle jar. Fresh cucumber and thyme make an unexpectedly perfect pairing in this cocktail. Their crisp, herbal flavors bring a garden-fresh twist to gin, especially when balanced with a bit of lime and honey. Cocktails are one of my favorite ways to put homegrown produce to use for summer and fall evenings.
😍 Why You'll Love this Cocktail
- It's light and refreshing. Perfect for warm, summer weather.
- It's herby and botanical. Tastes like it's fresh from the garden. (Because it is.)
- It's simple, yet tasty. No special syrups or fancy liquors required. A straightforward cocktail that anyone can make.
Jump to:
Garden-inspired cocktails are my favorite type of drinks to make. If using fresh herbs and produce in your drinks sounds good to you, too, you'll also want to check out my Rosemary Pomegranate Cocktail, Elderberry Cordial, Elderflower Gin and Tonic, and Carrot Juice Cocktail.
🥒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make a cucumber gin cocktail.
Key Ingredients
- Cucumber: Aim for a small to medium-sized cucumber for this cocktail. Large ones may be too bitter. Since we're muddling and straining them, there's no need to peel. You can use either pickling, English, or standard cucumbers.
- Gin: The botanical flavor of gin is a perfect companion to cucumber. A London dry gin, such as Beefeater, is a good, standard, affordable option with a clean taste. Hendrick's uses cucumber in their gin, so that's a wise choice, too. Local craft distillers with creative botanical-flavored gins are a great option as well. For local Vermont gin, one of my go-to options is from Barr Hill, which features a nice honey and juniper profile.
- Honey: The subtle sweetness of honey works well in this cocktail because it doesn't overpower the cucumber, and it complements gin nicely.
- Limes/lime juice: Lime juice adds brightness to the drink while a slice of lime garnishes the cocktail. Use fresh lime juice and not bottled for the best flavor.
- Fresh thyme sprigs: Fresh thyme adds a touch of herby earthiness that complements the cucumbers. It adds a milder flavor compared to other herbs like basil or cilantro. It's muddled into the cocktail and used as a garnish. Do not try to substitute dried thyme.
- Club soda: Adds bubbles and tops off the cocktail before serving. I like the Fever Tree club soda with a touch of sea salt here because a bit of salt always works well with cucumbers. I also tried it with. However, you can use any bubbly beverage of your choice, such as sparkling water, seltzer, or tonic water.
Check out the complete recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions & Variations
- Herbs: Instead of thyme, try basil, mint, or cilantro for a fresher, more herb-forward flavor.
- Sweetener: In place of the honey and water, use 1 ounce of simple syrup.
- Lemon: Try lemon juice and a slice of lemon for garnish in place of the lime.
- Mocktail: In place of gin, use a non-alcoholic alternative, such as the Garden 108 blend from Seedlip. Or you can use more seltzer or club soda, especially a flavored one.
🔪 Instructions
How to make a Cucumber Gin Cocktail.
- Step 1: Slice the cucumber
- Step 2: Add about five slices of cucumber to a large glass or heavy bowl with the lime juice, honey, and thyme.
- Step 3: Muddle until the cucumber is broken down.
- Step 4: Add to a cocktail shaker with gin and ice.
- Step 5: Shake well.
- Step 6: Add fresh ice to a glass.
- Step 7: Strain the cocktail into the glass.
- Step 8: Top off with club soda, tonic water, or seltzer.
- Step 9: Garnish with thyme sprigs, lime, and cucumber slices.
- Step 10: Enjoy.
✨ Top Tip
- Be sure to dilute the honey with water before adding to the cocktail shaker. Otherwise, the honey will just stick to the ice and not blend well.
- Use smaller cucumbers. Larger ones may be too bitter.
🍳 Equipment
Muddler: A handy bartending tool that you'll need to crush the cucumbers and thyme with the other ingredients. If you don't have one, a mortar and pestle works well, or even a wooden spoon can do the job with a little more effort.
Cocktail shaker: A shaker makes it easy to quickly and effectively mix this cocktail. If a shaker isn't available, try a large mason jar and lid.
Strainer: This cocktail needs to be strained. A standard bar strainer works fine (also known as a Hawthorne strainer), but a small, fine-mesh strainer can also be used if needed.
🍹 how to Make a Batch of this cocktail
If you'd like to make up a batch of these cocktails for friends, here's how to go about it:
- Multiply the ingredients by the number of servings you want to make.
- In a large pitcher or jar, muddle your cucumbers and thyme with the gin. Let it sit for a few hours or up to a day in advance.
- Strain into a clean pitcher. Add ice, lime juice, and honey syrup. Stir well, pour into glasses, and garnish with cucumber, lime, and thyme.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQ
Great spirits to pair with cucumber include gin, tequila, and vodka. Each has a light, clean profile that lets cucumber's fresh, vegetal flavor shine through.
It's easy to infuse gin with cucumber flavor. Add several slices of cucumber to a large jar. Lightly mash or muddle them, then pour gin over. Allow to sit for a few hours or up to a couple of days. Then strain out the cucumber and use or store the gin as usual.
Cucumber adds freshness, a light vegetal flavor, and a touch of bitterness all while being crisp and refreshing. This makes it easy to pair with lighter spirits such as gin or vodka. This makes it a logical choice for a summer beverage when cucumbers are in season. Cucumber slices or ribbons make a great garnish, too!
🥗 Pairing
Try serving this gin and cucumber drink with any of these recipes:
📖 Recipe
Cucumber Gin Cocktail
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This cucumber gin cocktail is light, refreshing, and perfect for summer. Made with fresh lime, thyme, and cucumber, and it's easy to batch.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin (London Dry or Hendrick's works well)
- ½ medium cucumber (4-5 slices, plus extra for garnish)
- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce honey combined with ½ ounce water
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs (plus more for garnish)
- Club soda or tonic water, to top
Instructions
- Muddle: In a cocktail shaker, gently muddle cucumber slices and a couple of sprigs of thyme with lime juice and honey syrup.
- Shake: Add gin and fill the shaker halfway with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Strain: Strain the cocktail into an ice-filled glass of your choice for a smooth finish.
- Top & Garnish: Add a splash of soda or tonic water to fill the glass. Garnish with slices of cucumber and lime and a couple of fresh sprigs of thyme.
Notes
To batch, muddle cucumbers and thyme with gin. Let sit for at least a couple of hours or up to a day ahead. Strain into a pitcher, add lime juice, honey syrup, and ice. Stir well, pour into glasses, and garnish as usual.
Combining the honey with water ahead of time helps to blend it into the cocktail when shaking.
Avoid large cucumbers, which may be bitter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Shaking
- Cuisine: American
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