Cucumber Gimlet Recipe
An alcohol-free take on the Gimlet: muddled cucumber, fresh lime and sugar shaken cold, then lifted with a splash of soda.
- Category: Mocktail
- Glass: Old fashioned glass
- ABV: 0%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Alcohol-free: ✓
Ingredients
- Cucumber5 piece
- Fresh lime juice30 ml (1 oz)
- Simple syrup30 ml (1 oz)
- Soda water45 ml (1.5 oz)
How to Make It
- Muddle the cucumber slices with the simple syrup in a shaker.
- Add the lime juice and ice, then shake until well chilled.
- Double-strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- Top with the soda water and garnish with cucumber slices.
Garnish
Cucumber slices
What it tastes like
It smells of lemon and lime peel and it drinks cool and easy.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A heavy-bottomed, wide old fashioned glass. Wide enough for one large cube, which is the point: a big cube has less surface area, so the drink gets cold without getting watery.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Cucumber
- The skin can be bitter, so thin slices work best; dropping slices into the shaker gives a cleaner flavour than muddling them.
- Fresh lime juice
- Freshly squeezed lime. Bottled lime tastes cooked and flat; one lime gives about 30 ml. If you have none, half lemon and half grapefruit juice comes closest.
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
- Soda water
- Plain carbonated water. It goes in LAST and nothing is stirred after it. An open bottle goes flat fast, so small bottles make more sense than big ones.
The Story
A restaurant-style mocktail built on the Gimlet's lime-and-sugar backbone, with cucumber taking the place of the gin's botanicals.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Cucumber Gimlet mixed?
- It is shaken and served in an old fashioned glass.
- Does a Cucumber Gimlet contain alcohol?
- No. It is safe to serve to children, to anyone pregnant, and to whoever is driving.
- Is a Cucumber Gimlet hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.