Name: Cucumber Martini
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 2 drinks
Ingredients: 4 slices of cucumber; 3 oz gin or vodka (89mL); 1/2 oz dry vermouth (15mL); cucumber for garnish

Adding cucumber to a gin martini really amplifies the botanicals in the gin while adding a wonderful depth of flavor that really works with an ice cold drink. You can add more cucumber juice to the drink and up the flavor/ decrease the strength of the cocktail by muddling in some more cucumber pieces.

What Gin Should You Use?

I love Hendrick’s gin as it has some cucumber flavor in it already so adding the fresh stuff just works! That being said there are a TON of great brands and I tend to cycle through a few favorites. 209, Nolet’s, the list goes on. I like asking bartenders for their favorites and testing them out before investing in a bottle.

Do You Shake or Stir Your Martini?

I like to stir my gin martinis. Not because shaking bruises the gin and creates a bitter flavor but because I think stirring better controls the amount of water that ends up in the drink. I end up shaking most of my cocktails though so it’s definitely not a dealbreaker.

Steps to Make a Cucumber Martini

A Few Tips

Hate gin? Use vodka!!
Try adding in a sprig of mint, lemongrass, or even ginger to up the herbal ante!
This drink is also nice on the rocks.
Shake or stir? It gets complicated but try both out and see which you prefer!

Cut the cucumber into decently thin slices.
Pour the vodka or gin into a glass along with the vermouth.
Put the slices of cucumber in the glass with the vodka or gin and vermouth.
To incorporate all that fresh cucumber flavor, muddle the cucumbers.
Pour into a cocktail shaker and add ice. Stir and strain the drink into a coupe glass.
Using a peeler, peel a thin slice of cucumber to use as a garnish.

If you’ve tried this cocktail then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!