Strawberry Cucumber Gimlet

The Strawberry Cucumber Gimlet is *chef's kiss* a near-perfect warm weather cocktail, if I do say so myself. Cucumber vodka is crisp and cool while the strawberry simple syrup lends sweetness and beautiful color. Garnish it all with a bit of fresh mint and a wheel of cucumber to really pull it all together.

Jump to:

• It's been quite a while since I've shared any recipes
• What ingredients go into this drink?
• How do you make this cocktail?
• Just for fun... here's the history of the gimlet:
• Interested in other strawberry-forward recipes?
• Looking for other Summery drinks?
• ✨ Recipe
• What should I have on hand in order to make this cocktail?
• Pin this recipe for later!

It's been quite a while since I've shared any recipes

And for good reason! I talked about it on Instagram but... I had a baby! We welcomed a little boy into our family last month.

Between getting hit pretty hard with morning sickness last fall/winter, being just wiped out due to general pregnancy-related things, and then actually having the baby, it's been difficult to find the time and energy to blog. Now that I'm home on maternity leave, it's strangely a little easier to think about cooking and blogging. Not needing to focus on work at all probably helps.

Between COVID and the general state of the world, I found myself really missing being able to consume alcohol, particularly toward the end of my pregnancy. So it should come as no surprise that the first recipe I'm sharing with you post-pregnancy is for a cocktail.

What ingredients go into this drink?

So many good summery flavors here!

• Cucumber vodka: I used Cucumber Vodka from Durham Distillery
• Strawberry simple syrup: I list detailed instructions on how to make this simple syrup variation in the recipe card. But basically, you'll need granulated sugar, water, and fresh strawberries.
• Lime juice: Just half a lime, juiced. Use the fresh stuff, please.
• Club soda: Just a bit, for a wee bit of fizz.

Not only do the cucumber and strawberry flavors play very well together, but the strawberry simple syrup makes the cocktail a very pretty pink color. I've made this drink several times and can tell you that it's very refreshing and perfect for warm evenings. Or days. Or whenever. Just enjoy.

How do you make this cocktail?

Vodka, simple syrup, and lime juice get shaken up in a cocktail shaker with ice until very cold.

Next, you can either strain the drink into a rocks glass over ice or into a coupe glass, and serve it up, without ice. It's tasty either way! I just thought that the coupe glasses looked particularly pretty in the pictures.

Regardless of how you're serving this drink, top everything off with a bit of club soda and garnish with a cucumber wheel and maybe a sprig of fresh mint.

Just for fun... here's the history of the gimlet:

I got curious about the origins of the classic gimlet (lime juice, simple syrup, gin), and came across this little story on Liquor.com:

"The Gimlet’s origin isn’t clear, but it’s believed to have been invented out of necessity by British sailors in the late 18th century. Sailors, as the story goes, needed the citrus to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. The best way to get sailors to drink lime juice? Mix it with liquor, of course. It didn’t take long to realize that this preventative drink was also delicious. So, while scurvy may be a thing of the past, the Gimlet is here to stay."

So... drink a gimlet to avoid scurvy! This cocktail is basically mandatory. You know, for your health!

Interested in other strawberry-forward recipes?

This Strawberry Crisp is such a winner. Sometimes I feel like this crisp doesn't get the love that it deserves. It's really an amazing use of sweet spring/summer berries.

There's this frozen Strawberry Margarita Pie, too, that's pretty dang tasty. Strawberry Crumb Bars are where it's at, too.

Looking for other Summery drinks?

First, I'd recommend checking out my Basil Vodka Gimlet. It's a great Summertime cocktail, too. OH and I have a great Grapefruit Rosemary Gimlet! Don't sleep on either of these.

If you're looking for more strawberry flavor in your drink, try a Strawberry Basil Vodka Collins.

If you want something citrusy, try a Limoncello Gin Collins. It's hands down the most popular recipe on this blog (and for good reason!). I also have a Lemongrass and Thai Basil Mojito that's pretty dang good, too.

✨ Recipe

What should I have on hand in order to make this cocktail?

• A cocktail shaker
• A cocktail jigger, for measuring your ingredients
• Rocks glasses or cocktail coupes

Pin this recipe for later!