Nothing beats an ice cold, refreshing beverage when you're kicking back and enjoying the sunshine! This Cucumber Mojito is a delicious sparkling libation with rum, cucumber and homemade mint syrup!
This easy recipe is perfect for anytime of day. We love to sip on these Cucumber Mojitos at brunch, after work, or with a light, seasonal meal. Scott designed this recipe to be muddle-free so that it is simple to make and perfect for easy entertaining. Cheers to that!
For another delicious rum recipe, try our Hibiscus Rum Punch!
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What is a Mojito?
A mojito is a Cuban cocktail traditionally made from rum, mint, lime, sugar and soda water. For this Summertime staple, fresh mint leaves are muddled into sugar and lime juice. Then, rum and ice are added to the glass. Finally, the cocktail is topped off with soda water and often garnished with an additional sprig of mint. The results are a light, bubbly cocktail that is sweet, citrusy and minty.
For this Cucumber Mojito recipe, we added fresh cucumber juice to lend a refreshing vegetal note. We also substituted a Mint Simple Syrup in lieu of muddling each drink to order. Read more about our muddle-less mojitos below.
Muddle-Free: Mint to Be
You see, Scott and I love enjoying a mojito, from time to time. However, if we're completely honest, we almost NEVER order one at a bar. I think our many years of working in the restaurant industry have scared us from truly enjoying a beverage that bartender's so notoriously despise. (If this is news to you, don't let us deter you from ordering one - just tip your bartender.)
Instead, when we're craving something minty, spritz-y and refreshing - we prepare a mojito at home. Mojitos are the perfect adult refreshment to make at home because they only require a few common ingredients and are always crowd pleasers. Muddling, however, can be a bit inconvenient - especially when entertaining.
Muddling refers to the act of using a pestle to press the ingredients (in this case, mint leaves, sugar and lime) into the bottom of the cocktail glass. For a mojito, muddling helps to dissolve the sugar and release the mint leaves aromatic oils. Since muddling can become a bit messy (even at home and especially after mojito #2... or 3), we developed a Mint Simple Syrup that delivers on all of the fresh, minty flavor - sans the squishing.
For this Cucumber Mojito syrup, fresh mint leaves are gently pulsed in a blender with simple syrup, allowed to cold steep, and strained. The oils from the mint leaves are released into the syrup which can be shaken with the rum, lime and cucumber juice without ever picking up the pestle. So easy, it's mint to be!
Cool as a Cucumber
To take this beloved Summer sipper to the next level, we’ve added cucumber juice. The cucumber juice is a perfect pairing for rum and mint and tastes absolutely delicious. For this recipe, juicing one large English cucumber will provide enough juice for four Cucumber Mojitos. For a fun garnish, we used a vegetable peeler to slice long ribbons of cucumber that we spiraled around the glass. It’s an optional garnish, but makes for quite a pretty presentation.
More Fabulous Refreshment Recipes
Check out our entire collections of cocktails and non-alcoholic mocktails for more drink inspiration!
Recipe
Cucumber Mojito (Sparkling Rum Cocoktail)
ADJUST SERVINGS
Special Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Hawthorne Strainer (Cocktail Strainer)
Ingredients
Cucumber Mojito (1 Cocktail)
- 1 ½ ounces white rum
- ¾ ounce English cucumber juice (See Note: a)
- ¾ ounce Mint Simple Syrup from recipe below
- ¾ ounce lime juice freshly-squeezed
- Ice as needed for shaking and serving
- 4 ounces soda water
- 1 Cucumber ribbon optional garnish
- 1 Mint sprig optional garnish
Mint Simple Syrup (4 Servings)
- ⅓ Cup water heated until boiling
- ⅓ Cup granulated sugar
- ¼ Cup fresh mint leaves (.2 ounces)
Instructions
Cucumber Mojito
- Gather, measure and prepare the Cucumber Mojito ingredients as listed. To view metric measurements, toggle the US Customary/Metric switch at the top of this recipe card.
- Combine rum, cucumber juice, Mint Simple Syrup and lime juice in a cocktail tin with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Strain the contents of the tin into a cocktail glass. Fill glass with fresh ice for serving. Top the cocktail with soda water.
- If using, garnish the Cucumber Mojito with a cucumber ribbon and sprig of mint. Serve immediately and enjoy! Cheers!
Mint Simple Syrup (4 Servings)
- Gather, measure and prepare the Mint Simple Syrup ingredients as listed.
- In a heat safe container, combine hot water and sugar. Stir until combined and all sugar is dissolved. Allow the simple syrup to chill in the refrigerator.
- Once chilled, transfer the simple syrup to the blender. Add the mint leaves and process on low speed for 5 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the blender. Process on low speed for an additional 5 seconds. The intention is to chop the mint to release it’s oils into the syrup, not to puree the mint.
- Allow the mint to steep into the syrup for 15 minutes. Strain the Mint Simple Syrup though a fine mesh strainer. Do not press on the leaves to further extract. Mint Simple Syrup can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for 2 - 3 days.
Notes
* A Note About Salt
Unless otherwise noted, all recipes on The Sage Apron are developed using Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. It is a great all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If using table salt, reduce quantities by about half.
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