Looking for a new favorite cocktail for the summer? An Eastside Rickey is a crisp, refreshing cocktail that is perfect for the warm sunny days and casual summer nights that we’re so looking forward to enjoying soon. By far my favorite summertime cocktail, an Eastside Rickey includes gin, lime, cucumber, and mint shaken and topped with sparkling water. Cucumber simple syrup adds the perfect sweetness with the bright flavor of cucumber. The crisp mint and cucumber paired with the lime is delicious and refreshing. Perfect for sipping while chatting on the patio with friends or winding down after a fun day in the sun.
How to make an Eastside Rickey (Cucumber Mint Cocktail)
We are going to need a few pretty simple ingredients for this recipe for a cucumber mint cocktail. No obscure, hard to find ingredients, just a few fresh ingredients and some dry gin. Use your favorite brand of gin, I like several popular brands like Bombay Sapphire, The Botanist, Tanqueray, Beefeater, New Amsterdam, Hendrick's, etc. and they've all been great in this recipe. If you're interested in reading about some fancier gins that are available, this Saveur article features several that I wouldn't mind trying sometime.
We're also going to be using some fresh mint. We will be muddling several mint leaves in the bottom of the cocktail shaker, but also be sure to set aside a few attractive mint leaves for garnishing your prepared drink.
We also need some fresh limes for squeezing and also slicing for serving. You can also use pure lime juice if you don't have fresh limes available but for best flavor, use 100% lime juice not from concentrate.
Cucumbers may seem like an odd ingredient if you've never had a drink with cucumber before, but trust me when I say it adds just a lovely yet subtle layer of flavor that is crisp and refreshing. Any time I see cucumber listed as an ingredient on a cocktail menu, it's almost always an automatic yes for me to order it. For this recipe, we'll be muddling some cucumber in the cocktail shaker with the mint, but also using some to make a cucumber infused simple syrup.
Once you've muddled the cucumber and mint, then added the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup and shaken until chilled, you'll pour over ice and top with sparkling water. Feel free to use plain/unflavored sparkling water if you'd like, but I almost always use lime flavored sparkling water because we always have it available in our fridge and it just adds another bit of lime flavor to this bright, flavorful summer cocktail.
Cucumber Mint Cocktail (Eastside Rickey)
Looking for a new favorite cocktail for the summer? An Eastside Rickey is a crisp, refreshing cocktail that is perfect for the warm sunny days and casual summer nights. The crisp mint and cucumber paired with the lime is a delicious and refreshing addition to the gin and sparkling water. Fresh cucumber plus cucumber simple syrup really brings out the cool, cucumber flavor.
Ingredients
2 oz. dry gin
¾ oz. cucumber simple syrup (recipe below)
¾ oz fresh lime juice
3 slices cucumber
6-8 fresh mint leaves
Sparkling water (plain or lime flavored)
Additional mint leaves lime slices, and cucumber slices for garnish
For the cucumber simple syrup-
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large or 2 small/medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped
Instructions
A few hours ahead, prepare the cucumber simple syrup-
Bring water and sugar to a simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved completely. Turn off heat and stir in cucumber. Let cool for a few hours until room temperature. Strain syrup into a glass jar, discarding the cucumber chunks. Keep refrigerated and use within 7 days.
To make the cucumber mint cocktail-
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber and mint together, then add ice, simple syrup, gin, and lime juice. Shake well until chilled and pour over ice, topped with sparkling water. Garnish with mint, lime, and cucumber.
Notes
Cucumber simple syrup is great in cocktails, lemonade, sparkling water, or any of your favorite drinks. It pairs really well with mint, basil, lime or other citrus flavors for a crisp, refreshing twist.
Looking for more gin drink recipes to enjoy for an at home happy hour?
Try this Blueberry Gin Fizz
Or this Cranberry Ginger Gin Fizz Cocktail.
Or this Ginger Gin Mule
Thank you so much for visiting Kitchen Joy. I hope you've found a recipe or two you'd like to try. It would mean so much to me if you enjoy a recipe, that you'd take a moment to rate it or share to Pinterest or with your friends. Have a great weekend!
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