Cucumber Basil Smash

I can't believe it's October already. I thought I would be ready for some cool fall weather after the sweltering summer we had here in Boston, but I'm a little reluctant to give up the long days and warm evenings on our balcony. I'm sure I'll be embracing autumn with apple picking and spiced cocktails before long. But for now I'm still trying to squeeze a few more summery drinks in.

I don't know what it was about this year, but my backyard garden and the potted plants on my balcony did not thrive. I've only gotten three tomatoes, whereas last year I was freezing huge leftover dishes full of sauce. I tried planting broccoli for the first time, but I clearly didn't know what I was doing and it bolted before producing anything. I trimmed it back and it looks like I might be getting some stalks - we'll see. My zucchini plant put all its effort into one monster zucchini while we were away on vacation and then died. Etc. My basil is one thing that really thrived, and as it flowered I thought I definitely needed to use some in a cocktail.

Cucumber and basil is a really winning combination. I've used it before in my Cucumber Basil Gimlet. Since I'd already done the combo with gin, I reached for vodka instead for this drink. On the one hand, I'm not a huge fan of vodka because I don't think it adds much to a cocktail besides alcohol. But on the other hand, sometimes this is exactly what you want. There's enough great flavor in here that vodka felt like a good choice. Not to mention that Thursday, October 4th is National Vodka Day.

A "smash" is a category of cocktails somewhat similar to a julep. In fact, at one time a Whiskey Smash and a Whiskey Julep were basically the same thing - whiskey, sugar, and mint. But a Smash has come to include lemon juice or other citrus as well. Think of it as boozy flavored lemonade. The "smash" part comes in when you muddle your herbs and/or fruit. It's a fun drink template to play around with. Try it with your favorite spirit and some different flavors and see what you can come up with!

Cucumber Basil Smash

2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
3 slices cucumber
6 basil leaves

Combine cucumber, basil, and simple syrup at the bottom of a shaker and muddle gently to bruise the basil and release juice from the cucumber. Add vodka and lemon juice and fill shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a basil flower.

Pimm's Slushie

Something about the summertime seems to bring out the kid in all of us. Great weather, time outdoors, vacations... it's easy to forget that we were complaining about shoveling snow three or four months ago. Even the cocktails are more fun. Summer drinks are so bright and playful - creative garnishes, colorful fruits, lots of fizz, and the occasional frozen cocktail. From boozy popsicles to frosé, it's clear that frozen booze is in. And why not? It's so much fun. And totally weather-appropriate.

There are lots of ways you can turn your favorite drink into an icy treat. Breaking out the blender works great if you want a smoother texture. But if you have a little time to wait and want something a little icier and more fun, you can make a slushie. Since alcohol doesn't freeze, diluting a cocktail a bit and leaving it in the freezer overnight can produce a perfect, partially-frozen treat. All you need to do is break it up a little with a spoon and enjoy.

For my first boozy slushie, I wanted to make one of my favorite summer cocktails: a Pimm's Cup. Made with Pimm's No. 1, ginger beer, lemon, cucumber, and lots of fruits and berries, it's a fantastic summer treat. But turn it into a slushie and you have utter warm weather perfection. Serve it with a spoon and a dash of fizzy ginger beer on top for a little extra bite. You'll feel like a kid again in no time.

Pimm's Slushie

3 oz. Pimm's No. 1
3 oz. ginger beer (+ more to top)
1 oz. water
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. cucumber juice*
1/8 oz. simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a freezer-safe glass or tupperware and stir gently. Leave in freezer until frozen, roughly overnight. Use a spoon to break up the slushie and transfer to a stemmed glass. Garnish with frozen berries and a sprig of mint. Serve with more ginger beer on top.

*If you don't have a juicer, the best way to get cucumber juice is to grate a cucumber into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or cup measure. Press the gratings to extract the liquid.

Thanks to Kitchen Treaty for some advice on slushie-fying a cocktail.

Mocktail: Green Monster

This is another drink loosely based on one I had at a restaurant, this time Tapestry in Fenway (thus the name). We went to dinner there with a couple of friends and were very excited to surprise them with news of our pregnancy. We were still chatting and catching up when the waiter came to take drink orders. I quietly asked for a drink from the menu made with green tea, black pepper, and sparkling lemonade. The waiter loudly replied, "Sure. You know that's a mocktail?"

Obviously, given my cocktail obsession, our friends weren't quite as surprised as they might have been when we told them the good news. :-)

I filed away the ingredients in my telltale beverage for future reference, and today I tried out my own version, with cucumber added as well. It proved to be quite as tasty as the one I had at Tapestry, and perfectly refreshing on a lovely spring day.

Booze it up: I'd definitely reach for gin to spike this one, although tequila blanco could be very interesting, and vodka would certainly work as well. And maybe a dash of Green Chartreuse!

Green Monster

2 oz. green tea
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup*
1/2 oz. cucumber water**
1-2 grinds black pepper
2 oz. club soda

Combine all ingredients except club soda (including black pepper) in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice (and, if desired, garnished with a cucumber ribbon). Top with club soda and stir gently. Garnish with another grind of pepper.

*For simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan, heat gently, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool before using.

**For cucumber water, grate a cucumber over a strainer so that the liquid from the pulp is strained into a bowl or cup measure. Press on the pulp to expel all the water. Alternatively, you could muddle a few slices of cucumber in the shaker before adding your ingredients.

Mediterranean Gimlet

I'm quite excited that Nautical Gin asked me to be part of their Gimlet recipe contest! They've asked several bloggers from across the northeast to use Nautical Gin in an original Gimlet recipe. I'm always thrilled to try new spirits - particularly gin! - and experimenting with new cocktails is pretty much my favorite thing.

Nautical gin is a brand-new American gin made in Nashua, New Hampshire. It's made with some really unique botanicals, including Pacific kombu, a seaweed that gives it subtle flavors of sea salt and minerals - thus the name. The resulting gin is smooth, aromatic, and really great in cocktails. The gin is sold in a lovely seaglass-blue bottle with the motto "Inspired by Exploration."

Nautical challenged us to come up with a spin on the Gimlet. This is definitely one of my favorite classic cocktails. In its original form, it's incredibly simple - just gin and sweetened lime juice.*  It's a perfect cocktail for showcasing the unique qualities of a gin, and it's also simple enough that it's fun and easy to experiment with.

I've made one riff on a gimlet in the past, a Cucumber Basil Gimlet, which was pretty great - cucumber is perfection with gin and lime. So I decided to do a different cucumber-based spin this time, muddling in some fresh cilantro to bring out the coriander flavors and topping the cocktail with a bit of black pepper to enhance the flavor and compliment the pepper notes in the gin. If this sounds a bizarre to you, don't knock it till you've tried it - it's a great flavor enhancer and really gives this cocktail a little something special.

Keeping with the nautical theme, I call this a Mediterranean Gimlet. I think it tastes like something you'd sip on the shores of a Greek isle. But Cape Cod or Boston Harbor will work in a pinch!

If you like this recipe, please give it some love on the Nautical Gin Instagram and Facebook pages when it appears! And keep an eye on their feeds to see more Gimlet recipes crafted for the contest by other local bloggers. Cheers!

*Technically the original Gimlet was made with Rose's Lime Cordial, but if you've ever had Rose's you know that it's basically high-fructose corn syrup dyed green. Luckily some brands are now coming out with real lime cordials, like this one from El Guapo. A lime cordial is usually made by allowing sugar, lime juice, and lime peels to sit overnight or for several days. The peels introduce lots of additional oils and flavor. I've always been perfectly happy just using lime juice and simple syrup instead, but if you want to get technical, it's the cordial that makes a Gimlet - otherwise you're just making a gin sour.

But we don't want to get technical. Let's have a drink.

Mediterranean Gimlet

2 oz. gin (Nautical recommended)
3/4 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
4 slices cucumber
Handful of cilantro leaves
2 grinds of black pepper

Combine cucumber, cilantro and simple syrup in the bottom of a shaker and muddle well, until cilantro is bruised and cucumbers have released their juices. Add gin and lime juice. Fill shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Fine-strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a couple of grinds of black pepper.

Green Thumb

Lately I've been getting a lot of practice at inventing new cocktail recipes. It's not actually something I do a lot - when I come home at the end of the day, I tend to prefer to flip open a recipe book or turn to an old favorite. But between Mixology Monday, Instagram challenges, and collaborations with different brands, it feels like I've been coming up with new recipes left and right.

Getting inspiration for a new cocktail is kind of critical. If I just go stare at my bar and think "I should make something new," I'll never come up with anything. But a name, a theme, or an ingredient is often enough to get me moving. A focal ingredient is one of my favorite ways to start a cocktail. It's easy to taste it and think about what other things might work with it.



When I got this sampler pack of Black Cloud Bitters a couple of weeks ago, the wheels really started turning. The flavors were so inspiring, and I've almost come up with a new cocktail for all five. I already posted the Ginger Sage Smash with the Black & Blue Bitters last week. This week I decided to work with the Garden Party Bitters. These have strong flavors of cucumber and celery, along with lots of herbs and botanicals. They are distinctly savory, which I knew would be interesting in a cocktail.

I felt like the cucumber and celery in the Garden Party Bitters basically begged to be paired with gin. I decided to try and bring out their  herbaceous, vegetal quality with some muddled cucumber and Green Chartreuse, which fit perfectly in color and taste. Lime juice and simple syrup rounded it all out. The Green Thumb was one of those cocktails that basically made itself. It's sweet and citrusy at first, basically like a cucumber Gimlet, and then you taste the Chartreuse and the bitters at the end of your sip. That savory bitterness just makes it.

If you'd like to pick up your own sampler pack of Black Cloud Bitters, head over to Muddle & Stir and use the code MS10GB for 10% off and free shipping!

Green Thumb

1 1/2 oz. gin
1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1 dropper Black Cloud Garden Party bitters
3 slices cucumber

Combine cucumber and simple syrup in the bottom of a shaker and muddle well. Add gin, Green Chartreuse, lime juice, and bitters. Fill shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Double-strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a cucumber rose and a mint leaf.

Silver Monk

When I bought my bottle of Yellow Chartreuse, the Yellow Monk was one of the first cocktails I wanted to make with it. I thought the Chartreuse would be perfect with tequila and cucumber, and it really is. The flavor combination works so well. If you don't have Yellow Chartreuse, you could definitely try the recipe without it. It won't be the same cocktail, but I don't think you could go wrong with this combination of flavors.

One interesting aspect of this recipe is the pinch of salt added to the shaker while you muddle the mint and cucumber. This adds a really nice depth of flavor to the cocktail. To get an idea of what it's doing, try eating a slice of cucumber by itself and then another one with a pinch of salt on top - it really brings out the taste. And it works with tequila and lime just like it does on the rim of a margarita glass. But be careful not to overdo it!

I'm proud to say that I grew both the cucumber and mint in this cocktail myself! I made it a few weeks ago after my garden produced its first cucumber. I was quite proud of my green thumb. The plant made several more gigantic fruits, and then promptly withered and died. And my mint is now struggling to stay alive after battling an aphid infestation. So it looks like this might be my last Silver Monk for a while unless I want to run to the grocery store. Maybe I have a green pinkie?

History: The Silver Monk is another tequila creation by Phil Ward at Death & Co in 2007. He's now the brains behind Mayahuel in New York City. Other great cocktails he's created include the Joy Divison, Cinnsation, Oaxaca Old Fashioned, and Division Bell.

Silver Monk

2 oz. blanco tequila
3/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
1 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
2 slices cucumber
7 mint leaves
Pinch of salt

In the bottom of a shaker, muddle the mint and cucumber with the simple syrup and salt. Add the tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, and lime juice. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Fine-strain into a cocktail glass or coupe and garnish with a cucumber spear and a sprig of mint.

Recipe from Food & Wine.

Strawberry Balsamic Smash

Why is everyone trying to rush into fall? Food bloggers are already putting up apple and squash recipes. Clothing stores are packed with sweaters and jackets. People are drinking pumpkin ales. It's not even September, guys!

Don't get me wrong; autumn is my favorite season. I'm really looking forward to the cool weather and fall colors and my hair not frizzing up within five seconds of leaving the house. But there's an appropriate time for these things, and it's at least a few weeks away. I still haven't done all the summery things I want to do. Fall is just going to have to hold off a bit. And the best way to make that happen is with a few more summery cocktails.

A smash is an entire category of cocktails that I talked about a bit when I made the Whiskey Smash. It's technically a type of julep (as in the Mint Julep). While the interpretations of both drinks have changed over time, the one thing that seems constant is the relative attitudes towards the two cocktails. People can be awfully fussy about their Mint Juleps, and this was even more true 100 years ago. In contrast, the smash is a simpler, throw-in-whatever sort of cocktail. Today they often include citrus juice, which juleps generally lack. They can be made with any spirit from brandy to whiskey - in fact, I've got a Mezcal Smash recipe I can't wait to try. So while the julep is a cocktail you want to get carefully right, the smash is a cocktail you want to have fun with.

I thought this combination of strawberries and balsamic vinegar sounded like great fun, and it was. This particular smash is made with gin. The balsamic adds a very subtle hint of rich flavor to the cocktail. The result is summery and refreshing. If you make the smash correctly - with lots of crushed ice mounded up on top - it also makes a beautiful presentation.

History: The Strawberry Balsamic Smash was invented by Damon Boelte of Prime Meats in Brooklyn, NY.

Strawberry Balsamic Smash

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 lime wedges
2 slices cucumber
1 strawberry, hulled

Combine all ingredients but gin in the bottom of a shaker or mixing glass and muddle to release their juices. Add gin and stir. Double-strain into a rocks glass. It won't look like much, but the ice will make up the rest. Fill the glass halfway with crushed ice and stir. Mound more crushed ice on top. Garnish with a halved strawberry, a cucumber slice, and/or a sprig of mint.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.

Dillionaire

I came across the Dillionaire while looking for recipes that used Bittermen's Boston Bittahs. When I saw the ingredients, I knew I had to try it. Any recipe that mixes Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur with fresh dill has got to be interesting. Plus, an adorable name? Sold.

Dill is not something you see in cocktails very often. Or in anything else, for that matter. I've only used it once in my entire life, when I made pickles. But a small packet of dill seeds came with a set of herb seeds I bought, and I figured why not plant them? I'd find a use for a dill, or else just make a bunch more pickles. I didn't expect it to end up in a cocktail, but I'm glad to put my little shrub of dill to good use.

I had to make some substitutions in order to pull this one together. I don't have any tonic syrup and wasn't really ready to spring for a bottle, so I replaced the 1/2 oz. tonic syrup and 3 oz. club soda with 3 1/2 oz. tonic water (Fever Tree). I also don't have Hendricks Gin, so I used Wire Works. Finally, I don't have Cocchi Americano, so I substituted Lillet. I don't think any of these changes affected the final cocktail too grievously.

The Dillionaire has a decidedly savory flavor and aroma. The tonic and dill flavors comes in strong at first, but then give way to sweetness in the middle of your sip. That's when you taste the maraschino liqueur and the chamomile. Then it's all bitterness. A really complex, interesting cocktail. And very refreshing! It's a really unique twist on your average Gin & Tonic.

History: The Dillionaire was invented by Nick Caruana, who writes the awesome cocktail blog The Straight Up - be sure to check it out. I want him to teach me how he takes those awesome cocktail photos.

Dillionaire

2 oz. gin (Hendricks recommended)
1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano (I used Lillet)
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 droppers Bittermen's Boston Bittahs
3 slices cucumber, 1 reserved for garnish
3 sprigs dill, 1 reserved for garnish
3 1/2 oz. tonic water

Place two cucumber slices and two sprigs of dill in the bottom of a shaker. Add Luxardo and muddle. Add Cocci Americano, gin, one dropper of Bittermen's, lime juice, and ice. Shake until well chilled. Double-strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Add tonic water and the second dropper of Boston Bittahs. Garnish with the remaining cucumber slice and sprig of dill.

Recipe adapted from The Straight Up.

French Maid

I've been on a ginger beer kick lately. One ginger beer cocktail tends to lead to another, especially when you buy it in a large bottle or six-pack. Loathe to let a mixer go to waste, I was flipping through The PDT Cocktail Book and came across the French Maid. I was a bit skeptical about mixing my nice Cognac with a can of Goslings, but I'm glad I did. Herbal and sweet with a hint of spice, this cocktail is delicious and incredibly refreshing. There's something beautiful about the way the flavors work together. I think you need the Cognac to really make it perfect. You could certainly use whiskey or rum and probably still make a darn good drink, but it wouldn't have the delicate sophistication of the French Maid.

I think this is the first cocktail I've written about that uses Velvet Falernum (pronounced fah-LEHR-num, if you were wondering). This is a spiced syrup that is most often used in Caribbean-style cocktails and tiki drinks. It has flavors of almond, citrus, cloves, and other spices. The taste is fairly subtle, especially when mixed with other ingredients, but it really adds an extra depth of flavor to a cocktail. Interestingly, you can buy alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions. The non-alcoholic sort is basically a flavored syrup. Fee Brothers makes one that should be pretty easy to find. But the variety I see used most often is John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum. It's basically a very low-proof rum infused with sugar and spices, made in Barbados.

History: Jim Meehan created this cocktail in 2008. It's based on the Kentucky Maid, which uses bourbon and foregoes the Falernum.

French Maid

1.5 oz. Cognac
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1/4 oz. Velvet Falernum
1 oz. ginger beer
4 cucumber slices, 1 reserved for garnish
4-6 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish

Muddle cucumber, mint, and simple syrup in the bottom of a shaker. Add Cognac, lime juice, Velvet Falernum, and ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and stir gently. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a sprig of mint.

Recipe adapted from The PDT Cocktail Book.

Bottle Buy: Pimm's No. 1

Pimm's No. 1 is a very British liqueur. I think I first learned of it from a friend who spent time in London, and everyone I've met since who has been there fondly considers Pimm's a cultural mainstay of the UK. By the time I visited myself, it wasn't all that surprising to see it on menus, because these days it's not hard to find a Pimm's Cup in American bars.

Pimm's is a gin-based liqueur infused with botanicals and spices, and it has a long history. Its inventor was James Tee Pimm, a theologist-turned-shellfish-monger who opened an oyster bar in London in 1823. He quickly became a successful restauranteur. He invented Pimm's as a health tonic and/or a cocktail to accompany his oysters - I've heard both. It was a huge success, and Pimm began bottling and selling it all over the British Empire. He expanded from there, creating the No. 2 Cup (a Scotch base), the No. 3 Cup (a brandy base), and so on up all the way to No. 6 (vodka). Only No. 1 survives, though Pimm's has released versions of the others as special seasonal bottles.

Pimm's will admittedly not be the most versatile thing on your bar, but it's a fun ingredient to experiment with. It does pop up in craft cocktail recipes every now and then. It's the main ingredient in one of my favorite cocktails, the Battle of Trafalgar, which I'll share the recipe for soon.

Pimm's No. 1

Price: $25

Alcohol content: 25%

Popular cocktails: Pimm's Cup

The Pimm's Cup is the quintissential Pimm's cocktail, and there are many variations.  In England, it's made with sparkling lemonade, which is not very common in the United States, so here it's often made with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda. Often those are the only two ingredients, and it may be garnished with just a single cucumber wheel. But the true British version includes cucumber and a variety of fresh fruits. The Pimm's website recommends mint, orange, strawberries, and cucumber. I usually like to follow the most original and authentic recipe, but when I saw this one on Bon Appetit I couldn't pass it up. If nothing else, it was an excuse to use not one, not two, but three of the herbs from my patio garden, and ginger beer seems like a fine alternative for sparkling lemonade. If you're lacking one or two ingredients, it's ok - it is an awful lot of stuff - but the scent of the herbs as you take each sip is what elevates the flavor of this cocktail. It's an amazingly refreshing summer drink, and a particularly good cocktail for guests before a barbecue or dinner outdoors.

History: So far, I can't really separate the origin of the Pimm's Cup cocktail from the origin of Pimm's itself. Did James Tee Pimm serve his liqueur with sparkling lemonade and fruit? Or did that come about later on? I'll keep trying to figure it out. But the liqueur itself is inextricably associated with this one cocktail. Even the names are difficult to tell apart.

The Pimm's Cup is the iconic drink for summer sporting events in England, including Wimbledon and the Henley Royal Regatta. It has also, somewhat surprisingly, become associated with New Orleans, and particularly the Napoleon House bar. Sometime in the 1940's, its proprietor decided that the Pimm's Cup would be an excellent cocktail to serve in the southern heat. And he was right.

Pimm's Cup

3 1/2 inch slices cucumber
3 oz. Pimm's No. 1
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. simple syrup
3-4 oz. ginger beer
1 sprig mint
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1 lemon slice
1 cucumber spear
2 strawberries, halved

Muddle cucumbers in a shaker. Add Pimm's, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Fill shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a Pilsner glass filled with ice. Fill glass with ginger beer and stir gently. Push lemon, strawberries, cucumber, and herbs into glass. Cheers.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.

Cucumber Fizz

This cocktail is a summer favorite of my Dad's and mine. I fondly remember mixing them up on a family trip to the beach last summer (we may have rented a condo for only a few days, but we basically brought a full bar with us.) I made up the recipe after seeing a bartender mix something similar at the Carousel Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. His version contained St. Germain, and I've included it here as an option, but I honestly love the crisp flavor of gin and cucumber without it. I'm drinking one on my porch as I write, soaking in a summer evening, and I can't imagine a more perfect cocktail for the moment.

I debated a bit about whether to call this a Cucumber Fizz or a Cucumber Collins. As you may recall, a Tom Collins is a cocktail containing gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda. You can similarly make a Whiskey Collins or a Vodka Collins. But a "fizz" by definition is also a cocktail containing citrus juice, sugar, and carbonated water. I still don't have a satisfactory answer for how a Gin Fizz is any different from a Tom Collins, but I'm going to go ahead and call this a Cucumber Fizz because, well, I like the name.

As far as what gin to use, Hendricks would be the best. A cucumber infusion makes it ideal for any cocktail with cucumber flavors. But it's a bit pricey for me, and right now I'm really enjoying GrandTen's Wire Works gin made right here in Boston. Your go-to gin ought to be just fine.

If you want to do a variation with St. Germain, add 1/4 oz. or even 1/2 oz. and decrease the simple syrup to 2 tsp. St. Germain really is lovely with these flavors, but it moves the cocktail from crisp and citrusy to sweet and floral. It just depends what you're in the mood for.

Cucumber Fizz

1 1/2 oz. gin
1/4 oz. St. Germain (optional)
2 slices cucumber, halved
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. club soda

Muddle cucumber, lime juice, and simple syrup in a glass. Add gin, St. Germain (if desired), ice, and club soda. Stir gently and enjoy.

Cucumber Basil Gimlet

If there is anyone out there who has been eagerly awaiting a new post, I apologize for the delay. I'm two weeks away from defending my dissertation, and needless to say, it's been busy! I finally sent my second chapter to my committee today, and celebrated by making a Cucumber Basil Gimlet.

I don't remember exactly where the inspiration for this cocktail came from. I saw the name in passing somewhere and made a note of it. I didn't even look up the recipe; the idea was straightforward enough, and it sounded like a lovely combination of flavors. So once the basil on my patio was mostly recovered from my best attempts to let it wither and die, I plucked a few leaves and experimented with proportions.

This is a lovely summer drink, and it stands out amid a list of other summery recipes I have lined up for the next few weeks in that it is not at all fizzy (although now that I think about it, you could amp up the lime juice and simple syrup, add club soda, and make a gin-basil Mojito sort of cocktail... hmm). It doesn't go down too quickly, but it's still citrusy and refreshing. Great for an evening on the porch.

For those of you who have time for that sort of thing.

Cucumber Basil Gimlet

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
5 slices cucumber
5 basil leaves

Add cucumber slices and basil leaves to a shaker with lime juice and simple syrup. Muddle until leaves are bruised and cucumber is broken up. Add gin and ice. Shake until well chilled. Double-strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and a sprig of basil.

Pepino's Vengeance

I used to subscribe to Bon Appetit Magazine, and on the last page of each issue they'd usually have a celebrity sketch something out on a napkin (like this one by Aziz Ansari). At some point, Justin Timberlake shared the recipe for his favorite cocktail, the Pepino (Spanish for "cucumber"). It's a mix of tequila, Cointreau, basil, pineapple juice, agave, and cucumber that was cooked up by a New York mixologist named Junior Merino. It's a good cocktail, and one I should definitely make for the blog at some point. But I don't often have pineapple juice on hand, which is how I came across this recipe for the simpler Pepino's Revenge. It was created by Lee Hefter, an executive chef at Wolfgang Puck. It omits the pineapple juice and the Cointreau, giving top billing to tequila and the fresh flavors of cucumber and basil.

One evening, my husband (henceforth "GarnishGuy") asked if I could make him a Pepino's Revenge, but I was out of basil. So I subbed in cilantro, which I thought would go even better with the lime and tequila. (I mean, is cilantro bad in anything? I'd probably eat cilantro ice cream.) We both really liked the result, which I have christened Pepino's Vengeance to distinguish it from the original version. It's citrusy and refreshing, but still very spirit-forward. A great alternative to a Margarita.

Pepino's Vengeance

4 half-inch thick slices of cucumber
Handful of cilantro
2 oz. silver tequila
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup

Muddle cucumber and cilantro in a shaker. Add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake until well chilled. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice and cilantro leaves.

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine.

Tito's Cucumber Martini

Just about everybody is going to be talking about tequila cocktails today, but I've got an alternative that still tastes appropriate for your Cinco de Mayo festivities, made with vodka.

I'm generally not really a big fan of vodka. I find it an underwhelming spirit that doesn't add much but alcohol content to cocktails. But every now and then you get a cocktail with so many great flavors in it that you almost don't want to corrupt it too much with anything but a clean, smooth vodka. I think that's what Tito's had in mind when they developed this cocktail.

Most vodka drinkers I know agree that Tito's Vodka is a spectacular quality for the price, so I happily made it my vodka of choice. This recipe is right off their website, and it's a favorite of mine. Calling it a "cucumber martini" isn't inaccurate, but it kind of misses the best things about this drink. While the cucumber in this recipe is great, it's the cilantro and the green Tabasco that really make it. You could serve a perfectly good cucumber martini with just the vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and muddled cucumber, but the cilantro adds depth and the Tabasco sauce this hint of savor and spice that move this concoction out of the realm of "perfectly good" and into surprisingly sophisticated territory.

One instruction that is important in this cocktail and in most others that involve muddling anything: double-strain. You're still going to get lots of little pieces of cucumber and cilantro through the shaker, and you don't want those floating around in the finished product. You should also double strain if, like me, you tend to get citrus pulp in your lime and lemon juice.

Speaking of lemon juice, the original recipe for this cocktail violated GarnishGirl's First Rule of Mixology (never have more simple syrup than citrus juice in a cocktail), so I reduced the sweetener to make it more to my taste.

Tito's Cucumber Martini

2 oz. Tito's vodka

3/4 oz. lemon juice

3/4 oz. simple syrup

3 slices cucumber (plus one for garnish)

Handful of fresh cilantro

3 drops green Tabasco sauce

Muddle cucumber and cilantro in a shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice. Shake until well chilled. Double-strain into a cocktail glass. Add three drops of Tabasco on top.

Recipe adapted from Tito's Handmade Vodka.