Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place your martini glass or coupe in the freezer for at least 2 minutes before you start mixing to keep your finished drink cold longer.
- Wash your fresh cucumber and slice it into roughly 1/4 inch rounds, keeping the skin on for color and texture. You'll need about 4 to 5 slices for muddling, plus one long ribbon for garnish.
- Place your 4 to 5 cucumber slices in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. Gently press and twist them with a muddler or the back of a bar spoon, releasing their juice and oils without pulverizing them into mush.
- Fill your cocktail shaker or mixing glass about halfway with ice cubes.
- Using your jigger, measure exactly 2 ounces of vodka and 0.5 ounce of dry vermouth into the shaker with the muddled cucumber and ice.
- Squeeze half a fresh lime to get about 0.25 ounce of lime juice and add this to the shaker.
- Secure the top of your shaker and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds until the shaker gets icy cold.
- Using a cocktail strainer, pour the drink into your chilled glass, leaving the ice and muddled cucumber behind in the shaker. Strain slowly and steadily to prevent splashing.
- Cut one long cucumber ribbon using a vegetable peeler or channel knife and drape it over the rim or let it float on top of the drink. Serve immediately.
Notes
Use hothouse cucumber for best flavor. Don't over-muddle the cucumber to avoid bitter compounds. Keep vodka and vermouth in the freezer for a colder drink with less dilution. Fresh lime juice makes a dramatic difference compared to bottled. Can substitute 1 ounce of cucumber vodka plus 1 ounce regular vodka and skip muddling step for convenience.