Cucumber Martini Recipe for a Summertime Sipper
Karen Frazier
Karen is a wine, cocktails, and food enthusiast. She holds a California Wine Appellation Specialist certificate from the San Francisco wine school and a Bar Smarts mixology certificate and bartends for charitable events.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- Put the cucumber in a mixing glass and muddle it.
- Add the gin, dry vermouth, and ice.
- Stir for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with the thin cucumber slices and a dill sprig.
Variations and Substitutions
This is a delightful, crisp, botanical wonder, but you've got wiggle room to play.
- Replace the gin with an equal amount of vodka.
- Experiment with the different types of gin you use. For example, use Hendricks gin for a more floral flavor or Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin for more citrus and coriander notes.
- Muddle cucumber in a lemon drop martini for a sweet-tart twist.
- Muddle cucumber in a cosmopolitan cocktail.
- Add a few basil leaves to muddle with the cucumber.
- Muddle some dill with the cucumber.
Garnishes
Support the botanical notes of this martini with a delicate, feathery piece of dill and cucumber slices. You can also garnish with a citrus peel or a dried citrus slice. For an elegant and summery presentation, use an edible flower garnish.
About the Cucumber Martini
Cucumber and gin have quite the affinity; the refreshing melon notes of the cucumber blend beautifully with the botanical notes of a delicious dry gin. For best results, peel the cucumber before you muddle it; this will make muddling easier and release more of cucumber's unique flavors. This is a martini meant to be served cold, as the crisp and refreshing notes sing when the drink is highly chilled.
The Salad Days of Summer
Whether served in a salad or a cocktail, cucumbers are the quintessential summer ingredient. When paired with aromatic gin, they evoke simple, sultry summer evenings spent on the porch with a cool drink and a summer breeze.
