Cucumber Basil Refresher | A Magical Gin Cocktail with Fresh Cucumber Juice

When I set out to make a drink last night, this Cucumber Basil Refresher is not what I had in mind. It’s hot here in Texas so I was craving something refreshing. I originally wanted to make a cucumber margarita but when I realized I didn’t have any limes, I switched gears. I got on Instagram and started scrolling through my feed until I saw something that caught my eye. I saw this recipe by City Gal Cocktails and I got so excited because the main ingredient was pineapple juice! I definitely have that from making my Easy Colada. Sweet.

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Buuuut then I saw that I needed lime juice for that recipe, too. Shoot. It’s okay. I’ll just make a classic Tom Collins. Those are always refreshing. Only…. NO LEMONS EITHER! What’s going on?! I had no limes and no lemons to speak of– can I even call myself a home mixologist? Of course there are plenty of cocktails that don’t call for citrus juice, but all the bright & refreshing ones do. I hung my head a bit as I opened the fridge for one last futile scan of its contents.

Cucumber. I have half of a cucumber! Yes yes, I can work with this. Usually, I muddle cucumber slices to impart their flavor in a drink, but since I was going to need liquid besides liquor, I pulled my juicer out of the pantry.

This is the exact juicer I have and I really, really like it. It’s easy to clean and has never clogged on me. Two musts when it comes to investing in a good juicer. It was actually a birthday gift from my longest-time bff (hi Han, ilu!) and she bought it so that I could incorporate fresh juices into my cocktails. Y’all. Get you friends who support you in your crazy endeavors like starting cocktail blogs.

You don’t need a juicer to make this recipe, though. If you’ve got a blender, that will work! Pour the gin (or vodka, tequila, or water if you want a mocktail) in the blender and add the cucumber & blend until you make a puree. Cucumbers have a high water content so it shouldn’t seize up on you. However, if you’re using a blender instead of a juicer, only use about 1/3 of the cucumber if you’re wanting only one Cucumber Basil Refresher. When I used my juicer, I went ahead and juiced the half cucumber that I had and stored the rest in a mason jar to give my daughter as a special treat with breakfast.

Once you’ve made the gin/cucumber puree, you’ll have to strain it using a fine mesh strainer like this one. Push on the pulp to squeeze every last drop out. You should be left with about 2 1/4 ounces.

When I took my first sip of the cocktail, it was good but it needed to be a little brighter. Ugh, if only I had a dang lemon. I opened my fridge back up and suspiciously eyed the bottle of lemon juice.

I know, I know. I said in this post to ALWAYS use fresh citrus juice. But since I was only wanting a splash, I knew the bottled juice wouldn’t kill the cocktail. I may have had to eat my words as I drank my Cucumber Basil Refresher but you can’t call me dishonest.

If you have a lemon, use the lemon. But if you need to use bottled lemon juice, I won’t tell if you won’t.

Also, I’ve gotta give my mom a quick shout out because she’s the real hero of this story. After all, she’s the reason I had the cucumber to begin with. She grew it in her garden and it tasted simply divine. But since you probs don’t have homegrown cukes at your disposal, store-bought will work just fine.

Cheers!

Ingredients for a Cucumber Basil Refresher

• 1 1/2 oz gin or vodka (omit or sub extra club soda for a mocktail)
• 3/4 oz cucumber juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup (here’s the easy recipe if you don’t know how to make it)
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1/8 – 1/4 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz club soda or sparkling water

How to Make a Cucumber Basil Refresher

Add the gin and basil to a cocktail shaker and gently muddle the leaves. Add in the fresh cucumber juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice. Shake well. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off the rest of the class with the club soda. You may have to take a few sips to make room.