Refreshing Cucumber-Infused Vodka Recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ large cucumbers, cleaned and sliced or cubed
• 750mL vodka
• Two large clean bottles or jars
• Cheesecloth or other fine strainer
• Funnel

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash cucumbers and pat dry.
2. In a large clean bottle or jar, add prepared cucumber and vodka.
3. Pop on the cap and swirl the cucumber and vodka gently to mix.
4. Store in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or pantry for 3 to 4 days. Each day, give the container a gentle swirl.
5. Starting at about day three, take a taste. Is it cucumbery enough for you? If so, move forward. If not, give it another day and try again.
6. When it tastes right, remove the large chunks of cucumber. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring glass or similar vessel to get out the largest pieces.
7. Put a funnel into your second clean bottle and line it with cheesecloth. Pour the vodka through the cheesecloth to remove additional solids.
8. Seal the bottle. Don't forget to label and date it so you don't wind up with a mystery vodka in your pantry (although that can be fun, too).

After that process, you can certainly drink the vodka right away if you want. If you don't drink it all, or you'd like to store your vodka for a while, make sure it's tightly sealed and keep it in a cool, dark cupboard. It will keep for one to two years without affecting the flavors, but if it starts to taste funky or if the flavor starts to fade, discard it.

Variations of Cucumber-Infused Vodka

Jazz up your crisp and refreshing infused vodka with a few floral, earthy, or even spicy flavors.

• Keep things crisp and cool with additional herbs. Add four sprigs of fresh basil, dill, or mint and six sprigs of parsley or thyme.
• Bring the heat with one to two fresh jalapeños, omitting the seeds, or add half a chili pepper, sliced and without seeds (the ribs and seeds of a chili store most of its heat).
• Go for a big earthy flavor and add half a green pepper, sliced and without seeds, or two to three whole, peeled garlic cloves.
• Add a citrus touch with two to three whole, sliced lemons or limes.
• Incorporate some fruit flavors by adding a cup of peeled and cubed pineapple.

Cucumber-Infused Vodka Cocktails

Craft classic cocktail riffs or go modern with your freshly infused cucumber vodka.

Cucumber Martini

Nothing soothes the mind, heals the heart, or touches the soul like a cucumber vodka martini.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces cucumber-infused vodka
• ½ ounce dry vermouth
• Ice
• Cucumber slice for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a mixing glass, add ice, cucumber vodka, and dry vermouth.
3. Stir rapidly to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with cucumber slice.

Crisp Cucumber Vodka Mojito

Turn the classic mojito on its head with a refreshing cucumber flavor.

Ingredients

• 4-5 fresh mint leaves
• 2-3 cucumber slices
• 2 ounces cucumber-infused vodka
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• Ice
• Club soda to top off
• Cucumber slice and mint sprig for garnish

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves and cucumber slices with a splash of simple syrup.
2. Add ice, cucumber vodka, lime juice, and remaining simple syrup.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
5. Top off with club soda.
6. Garnish with cucumber slice and mint sprig.

Cucumber Berry Spritzer

Take a light path with a splash of prosecco and berry flavors. If you want a bolder cucumber flavor, first muddle two to three cucumber slices.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce cucumber-infused vodka
• ½ ounce berry vodka
• 1 ounce prosecco
• Ice
• Strawberry club soda to top off
• Blueberries, cucumber ribbon, and mint sprig for garnish

Instructions

1. In a rocks glass, ice, add cucumber vodka, berry vodka, and prosecco.
2. Stir to mix.
3. Top off with strawberry club soda.
4. Garnish with blueberries, cucumber ribbon, and mint sprig.

Gardener's Delight

You can throw this cocktail into an insulated water bottle to enjoy while you work in the yard, as you're cleaning up, or while you watch someone else take care of all that work for you.

Ingredients

1. 1½ ounces cucumber-infused vodka
2. ¾ ounce elderflower liqueur
3. ½ ounce lime cordial
4. Ice
5. Tonic water to top off
6. Lime wheel and cucumber slice for garnish

Instructions

1. In a rocks glass, add ice, cucumber vodka, elderflower liqueur, and lime cordial.
2. Top off with tonic water.
3. Stir to mix.
4. Garnish with lime wheel and cucumber slice.

Mixers for Cucumber Vodka Drinks

Add a mixer that'll make your cucumber vodka the star, or layer flavors together to create an explosion of taste.

• Lemonade
• Limeade
• Plain club soda
• Flavored club soda such as lemon, lime, orange, strawberry, coconut, vanilla, or melon
• Coconut water
• Tonic water
• Orange liqueur
• Gin

Crisp Cucumber-Infused Vodka for Refreshing Cocktails

Your mind may immediately jump to gin when you think of cucumber cocktails, but a cucumber-infused vodka rewrites the book. With a crisp, neutral palette to allow the cucumber flavors to shine, cucumber vodka cocktails will please picky imbibers. And good news - there are plenty of other cucumber vodka drinks to try.