Joy the Baker

Cucumber Gin Salt and Pepper Cups

by 60 Comments

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I’ve been thinking about your weekend.

I actually started thinking about your weekend last Monday… that’s how I operate.

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I was thinking that these Cucumber Gin Salt and Pepper Cups would be an amazing addition to your sleeping in, late breakfasting, and shoe shopping.  That’s totally your weekend right?  Stress-free and shoppy?  I know… me neither.  But at least we can make the weekend gin-y and super fresh!

Happy Weekend to you!

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I made this cocktail look like science.  Really it’s just a boozy mixture with fresh cucumber juice, lime, and sparkling water.  It’s like the science and boozy version of spa water.  Minus the science, plus the glass beakers.  You know.

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The juices and gin are stirred with ice.  Cucumber juice is so refreshing, light, and green!  I love the tint it adds to the cocktail.  Lime adds a much needed mouth-pucker.  There’s also a bit of sweetness to round out this cocktail.  I made a devastatingly easy simple syrup.  If you’ve never made simple syrup, it’s a mixture of equal parts water and sugar heated until the syrup dissolves.  It’s the best way to sweeten a cocktail without trying to dissolve granulated sugar in cold gin.

Now… if you want to talk about cucumber juice, you should know that it’s super easy to make with a juicer.  If you don’t have a juicer, blending cucumber in a food processor and then pressing it through a fine mesh strainer works, it’s just a bit more time-consuming.

Also… if you want to talk about my creepy fingers, that topic is actually closed for discussion.

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Salt and pepper too!?  Heck yes!  The salt and pepper add the perfect compliment to the sweet/tart/fresh nature of the cocktail.  Salt enhances the flavors.  Pepper adds just a hint of heat, but it’s super subtle.

These cocktails were inspired by a cocktail I had at the Soho House.  I had one, and now we all should enjoy.

Cucumber and Gin Salt and Pepper Cups

serves 4

Print this Recipe!

lots of ice

1 cup gin

1 cup cucumber juice*

1/2 cup lime juice**

1/3 cup simple syrup

2 cups sparkling water

sliced cucumber rounds

coarse sea salt

cracked black peppercorns

* I used my juicer to make cucumber juice.  If you don’t have a juicer making cucumber juice can be a bit trickier.  Blending cucumber in a food processor and pressing it through a fine mesh strainer works though it is slightly more time consuming.

** Simple syrup is a mixture of equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar dissolves. Heat 1/3 cup water with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.

In a large glass pitcher filled with ice, stir together gin, cucumber juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.  Stir until combined and chilled.  Stir in sparkling water.  Pour over ice and garnish with cucumber slices, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.  

 

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Comments

  1. Kelsey

    I don’t think your fingers are creepy. I’ve seen some creepy blogger fingers in my day, and your fingers, dear Joy, light of my life, twinkle in my eye, are not creepy.

    PS thanks for the neato recipe.

    Reply

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