I know, this is supposed to be a family website.  But there is nothing wrong with a happy hour every now and then, especially if you can find a delicious, relatively natural cocktail like this one to enjoy.  I’ll be honest here, I am not much of a drinker.  That is, anymore.  Twenty, even ten years ago, my tolerance for alcohol was quite a bit higher than it is now.  I really don’t know what happened to me.  One day I woke up and couldn’t metabolize alcohol anymore.  Kind of stinks, to tell you the truth.  Even though I would love to chill out with a glass of wine on a regular basis, it just doesn’t agree with me and it’s not worth the headache.  Literally.  But a smidge of vodka every now and then seems not to offend my system.
If you do drink, this cocktail is tasty, refreshing and just plain pretty. Â What I love about it is that it’s not too sweet and not too alcoholic, if you know what I mean. Â I can’t deal with cocktails that taste like alcoholic Kool-Aid. Â When I’m eating a savory appetizer, overly sweet drinks don’t seem to taste quite right. Â But besides that, overly sweet drinks go straight to my head. Â Ouch. Â This cucumber-vodka concoction is just right.
I am going to go against one of my blog rules, no writing about the weather….yawn. Â But I know so many people in different parts of the country that have been in sweltering heat the last few weeks. Â Not here in Manhattan Beach, California, of course. Â I’m telling you, if you want to live by the beach and never need air conditioning, this is the town for you. Â It’s the end of July and I am wearing jeans and long sleeves as I type this, with the windows closed. Â If the sidewalks are sizzling where you are, and you’d like to enjoy a cooling drink, you should give this a go. Â Unless you despise cucumber and mint. Â Because there’s no getting around those flavors. Â You can make this drink entirely in advance for your next party if you like and then just add the garnish and ice cubes at the last minute. Â That way you’ll be as cool as a cucumber when your guests arrive. Â Couldn’t resist.
- 1 ½ English cucumbers, divided
- 1 ½ cup mint leaves
- 5 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 4 limes)
- ¾ cup vodka
- 3 Tablespoons Cointreau
- ¾ cup apple juice (if you're juicing the cucumber, you might as well juice an apple, too)
- Slice the half cucumber into rounds and reserve for garnish.
- If you have a juicer, juice the whole cucumber, unpeeled. If you don’t have a juicer, quarter the cucumbers lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard the seeds. Coarsely chop the cucumber and puree in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. You should end up with approximately 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of cucumber juice. If you end up with more than that, reserve for another use or add to the cocktail, if desired.
- Place mint and lime juice in a pitcher and press on the mint leaves with a wooden spoon or muddler to extract the flavor from the mint leaves.* Add the 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons cucumber juice, lime juice, vodka, Cointreau, and apple juice and stir to combine.
- Pour into 4 short glasses filled with ice. Garnish the glasses with cucumber slices and/or mint leaves.
To make this a mocktail, swap sparkling water for the vodka and cointreau.