Cucumber Gimlet: Summer Cocktail

Meet your new go-to summer cocktail: the Cucumber Gimlet!

A classic gimlet cocktail is very simple with just three ingredients: gin, lime juice and sugar. Adding fresh cucumber juice gives it a refreshing, crisp and slightly vegetal flavor that balances the botanicals of the gin, tartness of the lime and sweetness of the sugar syrup. I thread cucumber ribbons onto cocktail sticks for that snake-like, Instagram-worthy presentation. It's a showstopper for summer happy hour or garden brunches. My other favorite summer cocktails are passion fruit margarita and blood orange margarita.

What is a gimlet?

A gimlet is a classic cocktail made with gin and lime juice-simple, sharp, and refreshing. Traditionally, it's just gin and Rose's lime cordial (which is a sweetened lime juice), but modern versions usually use fresh lime juice and simple syrup for a brighter flavor.  It's my favorite way to beat the heat and impress with a cocktail that's as easy as it is elegant. Cheers!

The Ingredients & Substitutions

• Gin: I love to use Hendrick's Flora Adora Gin for this cucumber gimlet. It has a heavy presence of green herbaceous notes, which pair beautifully with the cucumber. If you can't find this particular version, Hendrick's Original Gin has cucumber and botanical notes and would also be a perfect partner to this cocktail. You can also use vodka as a substitute, creating a Vodka Gimlet. 
• Cucumber: It's easiest to muddle cucumber if it has been peeled. If you are using cucumber ribbons to garnish this cocktail, I recommend using a vegetable peeler to peel thin ribbons from the length of the cucumber (all the way around its circumference) which will leave you with peeled cucumber to cut slices from to muddle.
• Cucumber Ribbons: I threaded the cucumber ribbons on to cocktail sticks to give the "snake-like" cucumber ribbon garnish.
• Sweetener: I use a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water dissolved) to balance the tartness of the lime. You can also experiment with other sweeteners like honey or elderflower liqueur. 
• Citrus: I used freshly squeezed lime juice but you can also use lime cordial, which is a sweetened lime juice.

Variations

• Play with the Simple Syrup & Lime Juice Ratios: A good Cucumber Gimlet has well-balanced elements of sweet and herbaceous notes. It's easy to adjust to your particular taste. For example, more simple syrup can be added for a sweeter cocktail. Or more lime juice for something a bit more citrusy.
• Lime Cordial Gimlet: Use Rose's Lime Cordial instead of fresh lime and simple syrup.
• Spicy Gimlet: Add muddled jalapeño or a splash of hot honey for a kick.
• Other Popular Variations: Besides the Cucumber Gimlet, other variations include the French Gimlet (using elderflower liqueur like St-Germain) and the Basil Gimlet (with muddled basil).