Well, it’s getting hot again, and the popular rotation of cocktails is shifting to the taller and weaker varieties. Especially after switching to a reel mower, I just can’t kick back in the hammock with a Manhattan like I used to. Light, refreshing drinks are the order of the day. So I thought I’d do a quick write-up on this popular summer combination – lemon, mint, and cucumber.

I decided to post my version because there seems to be a huge variety in execution of this drink. Some folks use rum or gin, or a cucumber-infused spirit, or they make mint-cucumber water in advance. I like my method because it require no advance prep and tastes very fresh.

Served in a highball glass….

4 lemon round slices
4 cucumber round slices
Approx. 6 big spearmint leaves
1/2 oz. sugar syrup
2 oz. Vodka
3 oz. Club Soda

With a big cocktail muddler, mash up the lemon, cucumber, mint and sugar in the bottom of a heavy glass (muddle for 1-2 minutes).

Add the mash and the vodka in a shaker, and shake thoroughly. Pour through cocktail strainer (a few little bits of the mash should still pour through, add a wire mesh strainer over the glass if you don’t want some pulp) over 3 ice cubes in a tall glass, and pour club soda over top.

This a great fast fresh drink, but it does take a bit of work to do the muddling. Consequently, if you want to make a lot of this, you do need to do some advanced prep… I usually juice the lemons and add sugar, cucumber slices and mint leaves to sit over night, and then mix that with Vodak in a 1:1 ratio. I think Gillian and I made a gallon once for a dinner party that never happened. We were drinking these for a while (great without the vodka, too).