Cucumber Gin Gimlet

 

what's better than a day in the garden? a drink afterwards! especially on a misty day like today. (its the first rain in weeks!) this cocktail is the perfect summer time refreshment and if you are growing your own cucumbers you shouldn't have to wait much longer to harvest your own 'cucs' and try out this handy cucumber gin infusion recipe. then you can sit back and admire your garden and your fancy cocktail skills.

 

a gimlet is a classic cocktail traditionally made with Rose's Lime Juice (a sweetened lime juice) and gin or vodka. Rose's proves hard to find in this part of the world so a simple syrup and fresh lime juice combo makes a good stand in. the gimlet has many variations, a cocktail tip: if you substitute the gin/vodka for rum you'd be making a daiquiri!

 

I had my first gimlet last year in a cool cocktail bar in Barcelona, with no menu.  the gimlets were served with a retro green maraschino cherry as a garnish. im not sure if it was the day-glo green cherries or the heat (or maybe just the gin), but I've been thinking about my own version ever since. a cucumber gin and lime pairing seemed like a good idea. after the first test run I was a bit surprised that I didn't have to tweak the ratio at all. the cucumber flavour makes a great background for the zingy lime juice and herbal gin spices. a word of warning - just follow this golden rule: no more than two!

 

 

I ended up using a store bought cucumber for this recipe, I just couldn't wait for the in season ones! be sure to use the entire thing for packing loads of cucumber flavour in your gin, I recommend Gordon's gin for this recipe it's my favourite at the moment. De-lish!

 

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Cucumber Gin Gimlets

 

Makes 1

 

okay so there's a bit of prep to these lil babies but don't freak out. its super easy and you will love the result as well as feeling great that its a from scratch cocktail recipe. just perfect after a long (or short) day at work or in the garden, or as a pre dinner sipper. if you need to make a large amount just multiply the ingredients.

 

for Cucumber Gin:

 

1 sliced cucumber

1/2 bottle (375ml) gin of your choice

• place all ingredients in a sealed container and shake once every few days for 7-10 days
• strain out cucumber and place in gin into sterilized vessel for later use.
• try the cucumber slices they should be crispy and ginn-ed up

for Simple Syrup:

 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

• bring all ingredients to simmer stir till sugar dissolves, remove from heat and cool
• will keep for ages in the fridge

 

for the Gimlets:

 

2 oz (4 tablespoons/60ml) cucumber gin, see above

1/2 oz (1 tablespoon/15ml) fresh lime juice

1/2 oz (1 tablespoon/15ml) simple syrup

Ice Cubes

lime zest, for garnish

• place ice into a cocktail shaker or large jar with tight fitting lid
• add the cucumber gin, lime juice and simple syrup
• shake or stir (stirring is better but its up to you) until well chilled
• strain into chilled glasses
• garnish with finely grated lime zest