Month: September 2020

tequila

Isla del Sol | An Irresistible 4 Ingredient Passion Fruit Paloma Recipe Made with SimplyGala Syrup

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The Isla del Sol cocktail is a passion fruit Paloma that's loaded with flavor. SimplyGala passion fruit syrup gives it the right amount of tropical vibes so you can sip on summer all year round.

The Isla del Sol cocktail is a passion fruit Paloma that’s packed with flavor. It’s not overly sweet and has got just the right amount of tropical vibes so you can sip on summer all year round.

This post is sponsored by SimplyGala. All opinions are my own.

I follow a lot of other mixologists on Instagram and my feed has been filled with passion fruit this and passion fruit that for months. Now, if you’re familiar with my style of cocktail-making, I don’t do fake syrups or drink mixes. I just can’t stomach artificial flavors. Plus a lot of commercial syrups are cloyingly sweet. That’s why I’ve admired all the passion fruit cocktail recipes from afar. I assumed they were using artificial passion fruit syrup and I wanted nothing to do with that.

Shame on me for not doing some research into passion fruit syrups because if I HAD I would’ve discovered much earlier on that SimplyGala syrups are anything but artificial.

If you’ve been around from the early days of Girl & Tonic, you may remember that I’ve actually made a Passion Fruit Paloma recipe before. That one was made with beet simple syrup and passion fruit sparkling water, making it preeetty light on the passion fruit flavor.

Quality ingredients in cocktails make ALL the difference. Most cocktail recipes, especially the ones on this site, are 5 ingredients or less. If you’ve got a sub-par ingredient in the mix, it’s gonna ruin the whole thing. I can’t tell you how many drinks I’ve ruined by trying to cut corners. That’s what happened with the first Passion Fruit Paloma recipe I made. I didn’t wanna spend money on passion fruit syrup so I used the passion fruit sparkling water instead. Now, it’s not a bad drink. I enjoyed it. I’d make it again. But calling it a Passion Fruit Paloma was probably not the right call.

This Isla del Sol recipe is definitely a passion fruit Paloma though. Y’all. It is BURSTING with flavor. Traditional Palomas can leave much to be desired taste-wise but the SimplyGala passion fruit syrup packs the tropical punch it’s asking for. I was honestly shocked at how delicious the syrup was when I took my first taste. I could straight up put a straw in the bottle and call it a day. But seeing as how this a cocktail blog and all, I figured I couldn’t post a recipe that said “Open bottle. Insert straw. Sip & enjoy.” So I lived out my previous passion fruit Paloma fantasy and was not disappointed this time.

The Isla del Sol cocktail is a passion fruit Paloma that's loaded with flavor. SimplyGala passion fruit syrup gives it the right amount of tropical vibes so you can sip on summer all year round.

But like I mentioned earlier, quality ingredients make all 👏 the 👏 difference 👏 in a cocktail.

When I Googled “passion fruit syrup” I was shocked to see that all the name brand ones have artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, “natural flavors” (another way to say they didn’t use passion fruit- read this article to see how companies manufacture the passion fruit flavor “naturally”), and other things that shouldn’t belong in a cocktail like titanium dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

Umm… I’m sorry, is it too much to ask for it to just be made with passion fruit? Thankfully the SimplyGala passion fruit syrup has answered the call. You know what’s on their ingredient label? 3 things. Pure cane sugar. Water. Passion fruit pulp. *cue Hallelujah chorus set to a tropical tune*

That’s what sets SimplyGala apart from other syrup companies. They make it their goal to create quality products with real ingredients at an affordable price.

The Isla del Sol cocktail is a passion fruit Paloma that's loaded with flavor. SimplyGala passion fruit syrup gives it the right amount of tropical vibes so you can sip on summer all year round.

If you’re like me you’re still a little hesitant to invest your hard-earned money in a product you’re not sure you’ll like. (Hello, that’s why I used freakin’ passion fruit WATER instead of SYRUP. Don’t let me cut corners like that ever again.) It’s even harder to buy something from a company you’ve never heard of before. Trust me. I feel you. But I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the owner of SimplyGala for a few weeks now so I can bridge that gap for you.

Gala has had a long love affair with food and flavors. She attended culinary school and cooked professionally for awhile before switching to a job that was a little more suitable for a working mom. When her kids were done with their schooling career, she picked her culinary career back up–this time on the beverage side of things. Her knowledge of cocktails fueled her passion for quality cocktail ingredients, so she started making her own. She first sold them on Etsy and at farmers’ markets across California; now, SimplyGala equips people like you and me across the country with high-quality syrups to take our #happyhourathome to the next level.

She’s also been gluten-free for years like me, so we bonded over that. It’s always nice to know that products are not only gluten-free but are also handled by someone who actually knows what that means!

Using SimplyGala syrups in your cocktails means you’re not going to have to compromise on flavor in order to afford them. And THAT is music to my frugal ears.

The Isla del Sol cocktail is a passion fruit Paloma that's loaded with flavor. SimplyGala passion fruit syrup gives it the right amount of tropical vibes so you can sip on summer all year round.

If you end up making this Isla del Sol, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@girlandtonic_) and if you make it with SimplyGala passion fruit syrup, tag them, too (@simplygalagourmet)!

Ingredients for an Isla del Sol (Passion Fruit Paloma)

  • 1 1/2 oz tequila blanco
  • 3/4 oz grapefruit juice
  • 1/2 oz SimplyGala passion fruit syrup
  • 1+ oz grapefruit soda (or grapefruit sparkling water for less sugar & calories)

How to Make an Isla del Sol (Passion Fruit Paloma)

Add ice, tequila, grapefruit juice, and SimplyGala passion fruit syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake well, about 20 seconds. Strain into a lowball glass that’s been filled with ice. Top off the rest of the glass with grapefruit soda or sparkling water. Garnish with additional grapefruit.

Isla del Sol – Passion Fruit Paloma

The Isla del Sol cocktail is a passion fruit Paloma that's loaded with flavor. It has just the right amount of tropical vibes so you can sip on summer all year round.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz tequila blanco
  • ¾ oz grapefruit juice
  • ½ oz SimplyGala passion fruit syrup
  • 1+ oz grapefruit soda*

Instructions
 

  • Add ice, tequila, grapefruit juice, and SimplyGala passion fruit syrup to a cocktail shaker.
  • Shake well, about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a lowball glass that's been filled with ice.
  • Top off the rest of the glass with grapefruit soda or sparkling water.
  • Garnish with additional grapefruit.

Notes

*You can substitute grapefruit sparkling water for less sugar and calories.
Keyword grapefruit, grapefruit juice, grapefruit soda, grapefruit sparkling water, passion fruit, passion fruit syrup, SimplyGala passion fruit syrup, tequila
The Isla del Sol cocktail is a passion fruit Paloma that's loaded with flavor. SimplyGala passion fruit syrup gives it the right amount of tropical vibes so you can sip on summer all year round.
vodka

Mother Mule | A Healthy Moscow Mule Variation with Ginger Honey Shrub

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The Mother Mule is a healthy ginger Moscow Mule variation made with Other Mother Vinegar Ginger Honey Shrub. It's easy to create at home and good for you, too, thanks to the gut-boosting bacteria found in the shrub.

The Mother Mule is a spicy ginger Moscow Mule variation made with Other Mother Vinegar Ginger Honey Shrub. It’s easy to create at home and good for you, too, thanks to the gut-boosting bacteria found in the shrub.

Chances are if you like cocktails, you’ve ordered or made a Moscow Mule. It’s a true classic cocktail recipe that’s inspired many other drinks. Moscow Mule variations are common these days and I’m not complaining. Vodka, lime, and ginger beer are a perfect foundation for building more flavors on top of. I’ve posted a few Moscow Mule variations here on Girl & Tonic: the Irish Mule (made with whiskey), a Dark & Stormy (my forever go-to drink), and an Orange Cassidy (my own AEW-inspired riff on a Moscow Mule).

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I’m really excited about today’s Moscow Mule variation for two reasons: 1) it’s good for you, and 2) it can be easily made into a mocktail or alcohol-free cocktail.

Okay, okay. I can practically hear you rolling your eyes at me when I say that this Mother Mule cocktail recipe is good for you. Hear me out. I know vodka isn’t necessarily an elixir of health. BUT one of the main ingredients in this drink is pure health in liquid form. It pretty much counterbalances the whole alcohol & sugar thing.

Okay. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit when I say it’s bottled-up health. But Other Mother Vinegar is really good for you. Allow me to inform you.

The Mother Mule is a spicy ginger Moscow Mule variation made with Other Mother Vinegar Ginger Honey Shrub. It's easy to create at home and good for you, too, thanks to the gut-boosting bacteria found in the shrub.

Other Mother Vinegar is a “live vinegar”, meaning each bottle contains millions of healthy bacteria that will give the microbiome in your intestines a boost. Live vinegar is packed with other benefits, too: can lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, helps with indigestion and acid reflux, and is chock-full of antioxidants. You can read more about the benefits of drinking vinegar here.

I’ve actually made another cocktail and mocktail recipe using the raspberry OMV shrub shot. It’s called the Rowdy Mother (are you sensing a theme in the names yet). If you’re not down for a ginger honey shrub, their raspberry shrub or the turmeric one would also work really well in this recipe!

(If you’re looking for some 100% or 90% healthy cocktail/mocktail options, check out my Mother’s Garden recipe or this Cucumber Basil Refresher.)

I mentioned early that one reason I’m excited about this recipe is that it can be easily made into a mocktail or alcohol-free cocktail. I love easy, 3-ingredient cocktails like the Moscow Mule. But when 1/3 of those ingredients is alcohol, the drink becomes rather empty if you’re going alcohol-free that night. When you use a vinegar shrub as one of your ingredients, your drink will be anything but bland.

Another perk of using shrubs as a drink ingredient is that you don’t need to use citrus. While you definitely can use a fresh lime (like I did), you don’t need to. After all, shrubs were originally used as a substitute for fresh citrus back in the colonial days.

The Mother Mule is a spicy ginger Moscow Mule variation made with Other Mother Vinegar Ginger Honey Shrub. It's easy to create at home and good for you, too, thanks to the gut-boosting bacteria found in the shrub.

I lied earlier when I said I was excited about this recipe for two reasons. I actually have a third. As of yesterday, those of you living in the grand state of Texas can find Other Mother Vinegar at H-E-B!!! *cue the Hallelujah chorus & start thanking Jesus for the gift that is H-E-B* Over 85 locations are stocking their shelves with OMV shrub shots– check your Healthy Living Department to see if you’re one of the lucky several.

Oh… you don’t live in Texas? That sucks- for many reasons- but thankfully you can order Other Mother Vinegar online.

Do you love Moscow Mules? Let me know what your favorite Moscow Mule variation is down below and, as always, tag me if you make this one! (@girlandtonic_).

The Mother Mule is a spicy ginger Moscow Mule variation made with Other Mother Vinegar Ginger Honey Shrub. It's easy to create at home and good for you, too, thanks to the gut-boosting bacteria found in the shrub.

Ingredients for a Mother Mule

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka (leave out for mocktail version)
  • 1/2 oz ginger honey shrub (check out OMV’s sample size here)
  • 1 lime wedge
  • 4+ oz ginger beer (Bundaberg is my favorite!)

How to Make a Mother Mule (a Moscow Mule Variation)

Add ice to a copper mug or a lowball glass. Pour in the vodka (skip if going alcohol-free), ginger honey shrub, and squeeze the lime wedge into the mug. Top off the rest of the mug with your ginger beer. Stir to combine. Garnish with an extra lime wedge.

Mother Mule

A spicy and healthy Moscow Mule variation made with a ginger honey vinegar shrub.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz vodka (omit for mocktail)
  • ½ oz ginger honey shrub*
  • 1 lime wedge
  • 4+ oz ginger beer

Instructions
 

  • Add ice to a copper mug or a lowball glass.
  • Pour in the vodka (skip if going alcohol-free), ginger honey shrub, and squeeze the lime wedge into the mug.
  • Top off the rest of the mug with your ginger beer. Stir to combine.
  • Garnish with an extra lime wedge.

Notes

*You can buy a sample size of Other Mother Vinegar’s ginger honey shrub here.
Keyword ginger beer, ginger honey shrub, lime, lime juice, shrub, vodka
whiskey

Morgan Mends the Line | A Custom Cocktail with Orange Spice Tea-Infused Whiskey

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Morgan Mends the Line is a bold yet sweet cocktail made with orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup. It blurs the lines between sweet and bold, complex and simple. It's a custom cocktail

Morgan Mends the Line is a bold yet sweet cocktail made with orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup. It blurs the lines between sweet and bold, complex and simple. It’s a custom cocktail created especially for my Instagram friend Morgan.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

A few weeks back, Girl & Tonic hit a milestone– I got 1,000 followers on Instagram. 🎉 As a mom, I’m a pro at celebrating evverrryy milestone. As my follower count inched towards 1K, I was already brainstorming ways to commerorate this occassion. A giveaway was my first thought– that’s kinda the norm on Instagram. Reach X amount of followers, run a giveaway. I wasn’t feeling the traditional route though.

After a lot of different ideas, I did end up settling on a giveaway– a custom cocktail giveaway. To be entered, all someone had to do was comment on the post as many times as you wanted. The winner would receive a custom cocktail named after them and also a printed recipe card. I was shocked by how well-received it was.

I used a random comment picker and an awesome gal named Morgan (@morganreidmiller) won! I was honestly surprised because one of my Instagram friend’s comments equated for 1/5 of all the entries. Probability and statistics, eh? 🤔

Morgan, the inspiration behind the custom cocktail Morgan Mends the Line
Morgan, the inspiration behind Morgan Mends the Line

The idea behind a customized cocktail is to create a recipe that personifies that individual. I’ve been IG friends with Morgan for several months now so I knew some about her already. To get to know her more, I sent her a questionnaire and my Custom Cocktail Word Board. I had SO much fun thinking up a custom cocktail recipe that reflected her. Here are the reasons behind the name and ingredient choices.

Morgan has a few interests that would be so fun to explore through a cocktail, but I decided to focus on her love for fly fishing. The name Morgan Mends the Line is not only a nod to the fly fishing term, but also to Morgan’s personality.

Morgan Mends the Line is a bold yet sweet cocktail made with orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup. It blurs the lines between sweet and bold, complex and simple. It's a custom cocktail created for the winner of my 1K followers giveaway.

To “mend the line” in fly fishing means to handle your fishing line and rod in a particular way to combat the currents of the water. This is done to keep the lure, or the “fly”, from drifting too far downstream. If a line is mended poorly, the lure will either move too slowly or too quickly to be perceived as a real fly. No fish will fall for it. Mending the line requires a steady hand and a perceptive eye that knows when to build up the slack and when to adjust.

You see, when I asked Morgan what she was most proud of, she said “my ability to work through tough situations with a level head and objectively”. Ahh. Now I can see why she’s both drawn to fly fishing and why she’s good at it. Fly fishing, and this cocktail, externalize Morgan’s inner strength–remaining at ease under tense situations.

Morgan Mends the Line is a bold yet sweet cocktail made with orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup. It blurs the lines between sweet and bold, complex and simple. It's a custom cocktail created for the winner of my 1K followers giveaway.

“Bold” is one of the adjectives that Morgan selected from the Custom Cocktail Word Board. I wanted to add some kind of spicy kick but also needed to keep it in check because “sweet” was a selected adjective as well. Ginger simple syrup is the perfect solution.

Morgan is also a very talented barista. The obvious choice would’ve been to use coffee liqueur in the drink. But two of the words she selected from the word board were “adventurous” and “creative”, so I knew I had to push the envelope a bit. I decided to infuse whiskey (one of her fav liquors) with orange spice tea. It’s got the boldness and the caffeine of coffee but a sweet flavor and aroma that really complements the whiskey. I also tried making it with vodka and it was good, too.

I served it up in a coupe glass because Morgan selected the word “intricate”. Many whiskey drinks are typically served in a lowball or Old Fashioned glass. By serving this one in a coupe glass, it gives the drink a more delicate, gentle persona. Like Morgan.

Morgan Mends the Line is a bold yet sweet cocktail made with orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup. It blurs the lines between sweet and bold, complex and simple. It's a custom cocktail created for the winner of my 1K followers giveaway.

There’s the story behind Morgan Mends the Line. Thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway! This definitely won’t be the last custom cocktail giveaway I do.

(Before any of you fly fishermen and fisherwomen out there come for me, I *know* the lure used as a garnish isn’t one used for fly-fishing. I used what I had on hand, okay? 😅 I’ve never fly-fished before but I would really love to. The only reason I was able to write this post is because of what I learned from Matthew Bernhardt’s article on Drift Hook.)

Ingredients for Morgan Mends the Line

How to Make a Morgan Mends the Line

To make the orange spice tea-infused whiskey, pour 5 oz of whiskey into a small jar and add one bag of orange spice tea. Let the whiskey and the tea infuse at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the teabag. Store the extra whiskey in an airtight container. It’ll keep for a long time.

Add ice, the orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon (or a fishing lure but not really bc that’s dangerous, y’all).

Morgan Mends the Line

A bold and sweet cocktail made with orange spice tea-infused whiskey, citrus, and ginger simple syrup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz orange spice tea-infused whiskey*
  • ½ oz tangelo juice (can sub clementine, orange, or cara cara juice)
  • ¼ oz lemon juice
  • ½ oz ginger simple syrup**

Instructions
 

  • Add ice, the orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
     
  • Shake well.
  • Strain into a coupe glass.
  • Garnish with a slice of lemon (or a fishing lure but not really bc that's dangerous).

Notes

*To make the orange spice tea-infused whiskey, pour 5 oz of whiskey into a small jar and add one bag of orange spice tea. Let the whiskey and the tea infuse at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the teabag. Store the extra whiskey in an airtight container. It’ll keep for a long time. (You can also use vodka if you prefer. It will have a more mild flavor, which some may prefer.)
**Click here for an easy ginger simple syrup recipe.
Keyword ginger, ginger simple syrup, lemon, lemon juice, orange spice tea, simple syrup, tangelo, whiskey
Morgan Mends the Line is a bold yet sweet cocktail made with orange spice tea-infused whiskey, tangelo juice, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup. It blurs the lines between sweet and bold, complex and simple. It's a custom cocktail created for the winner of my 1K followers giveaway.
simple syrup

Ginger Simple Syrup | A 3 Ingredient Syrup That’ll Add a Kick to any Classic Cocktail

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Ginger simple syrup is an easy way to introduce the boldness of ginger to a cocktail without making the drink too spicy. If you're wondering what to use this ginger simple syrup in, you can experiment subbing it in for regular simple syrup in your favorite classics like the Gimlet or a Whiskey Sour. It also makes a zingy substitution for cardamom simple syrup in my Golden Pothos recipe.

Ginger simple syrup is an easy way to introduce the boldness of ginger to a cocktail without making the drink too spicy. The kick is curbed by the sweetness and your tastebuds are left feeling perfectly buzzed.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

If you’re wondering what to use this ginger simple syrup in, you can experiment subbing it in for regular simple syrup in your favorite classics like the Gimlet or a Whiskey Sour. It also makes a zingy substitution for cardamom simple syrup in my Golden Pothos recipe.

This recipe calls for fresh ginger, but you can certainly use ginger paste. (I would not recommend using ginger powder in this recipe.) The general rule of thumb is to use 1 Tablespoon of ginger paste for every inch of fresh ginger that’s used in a recipe. So in this case, you’d use about 2.5 Tablespoons. Feel free to taste as you go to avoid adding too much. You’ll also need to strain the syrup with a fine mesh strainer prior to bottling.

You may know from my other simple syrup recipes that I prefer to make my simple syrups in small batches. That way I can use them up before they go bad. Feel free to double or triple the recipe for a larger quantity.

This ginger simple syrup should last for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Ingredients for Ginger Simple Syrup

  • 2 1/2 – 3 inches of fresh ginger
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup water

How to Make Ginger Simple Syrup

Peel 2 1/2 to 3 inches of fresh ginger. Cut in into smaller pieces. Add the ginger pieces, the water, and the sugar to a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer the syrup for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the ginger to sit in the syrup as it cools so it can further infuse. If you boil the syrup too long and at too high of a temperature, it’ll get too thick to pour. Remove the ginger pieces before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. The syrup should last for about 2 weeks.

Ginger Simple Syrup

The easiest way to add a kick of ginger to a cocktail without making it too spicy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 min
Cook Time 3 mins
Cool Time 20 mins
Total Time 23 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 3 oz

Equipment

  • small saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 2½-3 inches fresh ginger
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
  • ⅓ cup water

Instructions
 

  • Peel 2 1/2 to 3 inches of fresh ginger. Cut in into smaller pieces.
  • Add the ginger pieces, the water, and the sugar to a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
  • Simmer* the syrup for 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and allow the ginger to sit in the syrup as it cools so it can further infuse.
  • Remove the ginger pieces before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. The syrup should last for about 2 weeks.

Notes

*If you boil the syrup too long and at too high of a temperature, it’ll get too thick to pour.
Keyword beet simple syrup, ginger ale, ginger simple syrup, sugar
vodka

Summer Sipper | A Fresh Green Tea Cocktail with Cucumber-Infused Vodka

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The Summer Sipper is a green tea cocktail with cucumber-infused vodka, mint, lemon, and tonic water. It's bright, refreshing, and not too tart or too sweet-- perfect for warm afternoons.

This Summer Sipper is the perfect cocktail to cap off the summer. It’s got all the refreshing flavors of the season: mint, citrus, cucumber, and iced green tea.

So many people out in this God-blessed country are celebrating FALL and even HALLOWEEN already. My season-honoring, calendar-following heart just can’t take it. The Autumn Equinox is September 21st. That’s three weeks away. I just can’t do it. Despite the fact that #summer2020 has been the longest summer in existence, I wanna relish these next few weeks.

Plus here in Texas, summer weather lasts well into October November sometimes. It’s hard to get in the cozy recipe mood when going to check my mail gives me immediate face sweat.

I was talking with some friends this morning about how crazy the weather can be here in Texas. Sometimes it’s freezing cold and snowing in April and sometimes wait… What am I doing? Have I devolved into talking about the WEATHER on a cocktail blog? Slap me the next time I do that.

I still have soo many summer-y cocktails I want to post though before the season ends so I need to get a move on. But I’m currently limiting myself to 2 recipe posts per week because running a blog is a lot of work. Creating the recipes, testing them, photographing the drink, writing the blog post, promoting it on social media is a lot of work. I don’t know if people realize it, but it is a lot of work. Have I mentioned how much work it is? Okay, I’ll stop. It is though. Fun work that I enjoy doing but it does prevent me from feeling like I can explore evverryyy cocktail idea that enters my mind.

Today though I’m bringing you a cocktail idea that entered into my Insta friend Casey’s mind. You can see Casey’s original Instagram post here. It really is the perfect way to cap off the end of summer. This is actually the second cocktail of Casey’s that I’ve made. I also mixed up her Mezcal in Maui and loved it! Several of you really enjoyed it, too. If you’re into smoky drinks and tropical vibes, I highly recommend it.

I actually made this drink at my friend’s house, as you may notice from the different setup. Our toddlers are becoming little friends & it’s adorable. We both also really enjoy a good cocktail. She suggested we enjoy “a good summer’s last hurrah cocktail” and the Summer Sipper is definitely that.

We ended up tweaking the recipe a bit (Casey’s calls for club soda but we used tonic water) and we also ran out of room for the rest of the green tea so we adjusted the amount. It turned out soo well! Perfectly bright and refreshing. Not too tart either, despite the fact that there is no sweetener in the drink. I think the earthiness of the green tea really grounded the whole drink. Well done, Casey! Thanks for sharing your cocktail with the Instagram and now blog world!

One interesting note. The recipe also calls for cucumber-infused vodka, which we made. But my friend also bought some *real* cucumber vodka so we could do a side-by-side comparison. Y’all. We both preferred the homemade cucumber-infused vodka! It tasted fresher and smoother— can you believe it? I’d say they both had the same level of cucumberiness (made that up). And while the Effen bottle is absolutely gorgeous, you can’t beat a cheapo bottle of Smirnoff.

The Summer Sipper is a green tea cocktail with cucumber-infused vodka, mint, lemon, and tonic water. It's bright, refreshing, and not too tart or too sweet-- perfect for warm afternoons.

In addition to the fact that the homemade cucumber-infused vodka was smooth as silk, using it in the Summer Sipper recipe made it taste like gin. Which I luurrve so wins all around.

If you want to invest in a bottle of cucumber vodka, go for it. Just know that homemade tastes equally as good (if not better) and is cheaper.

Here’s the recipe:

Homemade Cucumber-Infused Vodka

  • 1 bottle of cheap vodka (750mL)
  • 1 large cucumber

Peel the cucumber. If the cucumber is especially seed-y, try removing a lot of them. The seeds and the peel can add bitterness to the vodka that you might not want. Chop the cucumber into smaller pieces. The more surface area of cucumber that comes into contact with the vodka, the faster it’ll infuse.

Add the vodka and chopped cucumber to a large bottle or huge lidded Tupperware container. (You can also divide it into smaller containers or halve the recipe if you want.)

Allow the vodka to steep 24-48 hours. We actually enjoyed ours at 22 hours and it was great.

Strain the cucumber pieces out and pour the vodka back into its original bottle so that you know it’ll have a tight seal. No need to refrigerate and it will keep for several, several months.

Alright, now we can get to the Summer Sipper recipe. If you make this one, be sure to tag both me (@girlandtonic_) and Casey (@citygalcocktails) on Instagram!

If you like the idea of a green tea cocktail, you can check out my Matcha Simple Syrup– it’s the easiest way to add the lovely earthiness of green tea to any cocktail.

The Summer Sipper is a green tea cocktail with cucumber-infused vodka, mint, lemon, and tonic water. It's bright, refreshing, and not too tart or too sweet-- perfect for warm afternoons.

Ingredients for a Summer Sipper

  • 1 1/2 oz cucumber-infused vodka
  • 2 oz cold green tea, unsweetened
  • 1/2 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 10 mint leaves
  • tonic water (or club soda)
  • cucumber slice, to garnish

How to Make a Summer Sipper – A Green Tea Cocktail with Cucumber-Infused Vodka

Add the mint leaves and the cucumber-infused vodka to a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle the leaves; don’t smash them to smithereens or they’ll turn bitter. Add ice, green tea, and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off the rest of the glass with tonic water. Garnish with a cucumber slice and additional mint.

Summer Sipper – A Green Tea Cocktail with Cucumber-Infused Vodka

The Summer Sipper is the perfect drink for warm afternoons. It's bright, refreshing, and not too tart or too sweet.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz cucumber-infused vodka*
  • 2 oz cold green tea, unsweetened
  • ½ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 10 mint leaves
  • 1+ oz tonic**

Instructions
 

  • Add the mint leaves and the cucumber-infused vodka to a cocktail shaker.
  • Gently muddle the leaves with a muddler or a wooden spoon.
  • Add ice, green tea, and lemon juice to the cocktail shaker.
  • Shake well. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice.
  • Top off the rest of the glass with tonic water.
  • Garnish with a cucumber slice and additional mint.

Notes

*To learn how to make your own cucumber-infused vodka, check out the step-by-step process written in the body of this post.
**Casey’s original recipe calls for club soda, but tonic also works well.
Keyword club soda, cucumber, cucumber-infused vodka, green tea, lemon, lemon juice, mint, tonic, vodka