Cucumber-Honeydew Cooler
This recipe creates a refreshing cucumber-honeydew cooler with floral gin. It involves blending fresh cucumber and melon with water and sugar, straining, chilling, and mixing with gin for a light and hydrating cocktail perfect for warm weather.
Equipment
- 1 Blender High-powered recommended for smooth puree
- 1 Fine-mesh Sieve For straining pulp
- 1 Pitcher For mixing and chilling
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
Main
- 4 cups chopped English cucumbers 2 medium-size cucumbers
- 1 1/2 cups cubed honeydew melon about 1 lb.
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup 8 oz. floral gin (such as Hendrick's)
- Garnish: English cucumber slices
Instructions
- Wash and chop the English cucumbers and cube the honeydew melon.
- Combine the chopped cucumber, cubed honeydew, water, and granulated sugar in a blender.
- Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and pureed.
- Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a pitcher, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Repeat the straining process if needed to achieve a very smooth consistency.
- Chill the strained cucumber-honeydew mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Once chilled, add the floral gin to the pitcher with the cucumber-honeydew mixture.
- Stir well to combine the gin with the cooler base.
- Fill serving glasses with ice.
- Pour the Cucumber-Honeydew Cooler over ice and garnish each glass with a slice of English cucumber before serving.
Notes
Ensure cucumber and honeydew are well chilled before blending for the coldest drink. For best results, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve multiple times to remove all pulp for a smooth consistency. Adjust sugar to taste based on the sweetness of the honeydew. This can be made ahead of time and kept chilled, adding the gin just before serving. Serve over plenty of ice in tall glasses. A splash of lime juice can add brightness if desired.