Refreshing Cucumber Gin Cooler Recipe for Summer Cocktails

I’m not a professional bartender. My closest brush with bartending was filling in for the bartender on a late restaurant shift while she stepped away for a personal call. When she returned I happily went back to my station at the deep-fryer and flat top.

I’m also not much of a drinker. A few sips of wine or beer and I get rosy-cheeked; finish a drink and I’m likely to find a pillow. Most of the time I stick to a glass of red or an occasional home-brewed beer. I couldn’t rattle off most mixed drinks without checking, but there’s one summer cocktail I make very well: the Gin & Tonic.

That drink carries a memory. On our honeymoon years ago, my partner and I cruised up the U.S. East Coast. We spent most of our funds on the wedding and the trip, so we had little left for evenings ashore. To stretch our budget we bought a bottle of Tanqueray in the onboard duty-free shop, a bag of limes and a six-pack of tonic at our first port. Instead of buying expensive cocktails each night, we mixed our own G&Ts in our souvenir cups and wandered the ship, content with our frugal approach.

Those Gin & Tonics tasted like summer and relaxation. Then I discovered a variation: cucumber-infused Gin & Tonics. The idea felt natural—many gins already carry a cucumber-like freshness—so combining gin, lime, tonic and seedless cucumber made immediate sense. I adjusted the proportions to my light-drinking taste and tried it on the first genuinely warm evening of the season.

I prefer a milder mix, so I use one part gin to two parts tonic, the juice of a quarter lime, and more cucumber than some recipes suggest. Letting the cucumber slices sit in the glass for a bit, almost pickling in the drink, keeps them crisp and amplifies their flavor—delicious to nibble after finishing the cocktail.

With so few ingredients, quality matters. Choose a good dry gin—Tanqueray, Bombay or Hendrick’s are excellent choices. Avoid low-quality gin here. Fresh lime is essential; bottled lime juice can’t replicate the bright oils from fresh peel that lift the cocktail. Tonic water comes down to preference; pick a tonic you enjoy, preferably one without high fructose corn syrup. For the cucumber, use a firm seedless variety with thin, edible skin. The skin stays on for both look and flavor, so avoid waxed or thick-skinned cucumbers that can taste unpleasant.

Cucumber Gin Coolers

Rebecca Lindamood

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This cucumber and lime–infused Gin & Tonic takes refreshment up a notch. Save the cucumber slices until the end and nibble them after they’ve soaked up the flavors.