Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- ⅔ oz simple syrup
- 3-4 slices of fresh cucumber
- 3-4 oz soda water - to top
- Ice cubes
- Cucumber slices - for garnish, optional
Equipment
- Collins Glass
- Muddler
- Shaker
- Cocktail Strainer
- Fine strainer
- Measuring Jigger
- Bar spoon or long stirrer
Instructions
- Prep Glass: Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes. Give it a stir to chill it and set it aside.
- Muddle Cucumbers: In your shaker, add 3-4 slices of fresh cucumber and 1 oz fresh lemon juice. Muddle well to extract the flavor from the cucumber.
- Add Simple Syrup: Add ⅔ oz simple syrup.
- Add Gin: Measure and pour 2 oz Gin into the shaker as well.
- Shake: Fill the shaker with ice, close it and give it a good shake (10-15 seconds).
- Strain: Take the Collins glass and use the cocktail strainer to remove any excess water inside. Then, using both the cocktail strainer and the fine strainer, strain the shaken drink into the ice filled glass.
- Top with Soda: Top off with 3-4 oz soda water.
- Stir: Using a bar spoon or long stirrer, stir gently to combine.
- Garnish: Garnish with cucumber slice(s) and serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutes:
- Gin: If you're out of gin, vodka is a good substitute but keep in mind that the flavor profile may lack in botanicals.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch if you don't have fresh lemons, but it may slightly affect the freshness of the cocktail.
- Simple Syrup: You can make your simple syrup at home with equal parts sugar and water. For a low-sugar alternative, try using agave nectar or stevia.
Making a Pitcher of Cucumber Collins:
- Scale: To make a pitcher that serves 8, multiply all the ingredients by 8. That would be 16 oz of gin, 8 oz of fresh lemon juice, and 8 oz of simple syrup.
- Mix: In a large pitcher, muddle 24-32 cucumber slices. Then combine the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Stir well.
- Serve: Strain the mixture into individual ice-filled Collins glasses, top with soda water, garnish with a cucumber slice, and serve immediately.
Making it Non-Alcoholic:
- Gin Substitute: Use a non-alcoholic gin substitute; these are available and reasonably mimic gin's botanicals.
- Proceed As Usual: Use this non-alcoholic substitute instead of the regular gin, follow the original steps, and enjoy a non-alcoholic version.
Making it Vegan:
This cocktail is already vegan-friendly as it doesn't contain any animal products. However, if you're making simple syrup, use vegan-friendly sugar (some sugars are processed using bone char).What is a Cucumber Collins?
A Cucumber Collins is a gin-based cocktail made of fresh cucumber, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and soda water. This refreshing drink is relatively easy to make but requires some attention to detail to achieve the right balance between its different components.
The process involves muddling fresh cucumber in a shaker before adding the remaining ingredients (except for the soda), shaking it well with ice, then straining it into an ice-filled glass and topping it with soda water. The challenge lies in ensuring that neither the sweetness of the sugar syrup nor the tartness of lemon juice overpower each other or mask the subtle freshness added by cucumbers.
This cocktail is a variant of classic Tom Collins, which traditionally uses only gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and soda water without any additional flavorings like cucumber.
What is a Cucumber Collins made of – The ingredients
These are the ingredients you need to create a Cucumber Collins:
- Cucumber: Adds a refreshing, crisp flavor to the cocktail. It also gives a vibrant green color.
- Gin: The drink’s base spirit provides a robust and juniper-forward flavor.
- Lemon Juice: Balances the sweetness and adds a tangy citrus note.
- Simple Syrup: Sweetens the cocktail and helps blend the flavors.
- Club Soda: Adds carbonation and dilutes the drink slightly, making it more refreshing.
