The Art Of Infusing Cucumber In Spirits For Making Summer Cocktails

Come summer, there are certain ingredients that are used widely in mixology to infuse drinks with a seasonal touch. One such ingredient used often while making summer cocktails is cucumber. This deep green coloured salad staple is actually incorporated into different mixes because its savoury flavours complement the herbaceous and spicy notes in certain blends.   

One of the easiest yet imaginative ways to introduce the flavours of cucumber into cocktails is through spirit infusions. This means soaking cucumbers in different spirits so their taste and aroma enters into the drink, imbuing it with subtle yet quite discernable hints of this summer ingredient. Such an infused spirit can then be used to prepare multiple cocktails during summer and once ready, these drinks can be garnished with fresh cucumber slices or peels to complete the cucumber touch.   

But infusing drinks with cucumber is an art which requires a bit of skill to master. Read on below for some handy hacks to infuse cucumber in spirits so this flavoured alcohol can act as the base for making several summer cocktails:  

Choose Narrow-Shaped Cucumbers   

One of the first steps involved in infusing spirits with cucumber is choosing fresh produce. Go for cucumbers that are crisp and light and brimming with flavour. These are easy to spot because they have a fresh green colour, be it light or deep and have a narrower girth than overly ripe cucumbers. Thin, cylindrical cucumbers have a sweeter taste too that seeps into the infusion once they are added to different spirits.  

Slicing Cucumbers  

Another way to master the art of making cucumber infusions is to slice them appropriately. Use a vegetable knife to make thin slivers so they can be easily added to the infusion jars. Leaner slices of crispy cucumbers will ensure that their flavours are extracted more easily because they would seep well in the alcohol. Place these thin slices at the bottom of an infusion jar and pour the alcohol over them to make the cucumber infused spirits.  

Use The Peels  

Go the sustainable route in the kitchen by using cucumber peels too while making such an infusion. Cucumber peels carry a hint of sweet and tart flavours that can blend well with different spirits. The crispy green peel is a versatile ingredient. Cucumber slices and peels can blend well with cocktails containing a 30 ml serving of vodka or tequila or gin respectively. While making a batch infusion for the same, add 750 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin and 3-4 thinly sliced cucumbers along with peels to a jar before storing. This will serve around 25-30 people.   

Store In The Refrigerator   

Once the infusion is prepared, the next step is to store the alcohol in the fridge. Storing the jar in the refrigerator ensures that the alcohol and the infused ingredient remain in a cool place for the cucumbers to release their flavours into the spirit. Keep the infusion jar in a far corner of the fridge so it is undisturbed for at least a couple of days. Once the infusion is ready, bring the jar out of the fridge and strain.   

Strain Finely Before Use  

Use a fine meshed strainer to strain the infused spirit so what is left behind after the whole process is a clear liquid complete with the flavours of cucumber. A strained spirit makes for a smooth addition to a cocktail so that its subtle flavours blend well with different mixers without the infusion residue overpowering the cocktails’s flavour profile. A cucumber peel garnish would suit such a drink so it builds into the cocktail’s cucumber flavour notes.