Cucumber Collins Recipe
Written by Experience the essence of spring with this easy-to-make Cucumber Collins recipe! It's a refreshing mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water, and fresh cucumber.
Prep time: 1 minute
Mixing time: 1 minute
Servings: 1
Calories: 191
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.