If you don’t fancy gin then vodka, white rum or St-Germain – an elderflower liqueur– would all make a delicious boozy addition instead.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
15 mins
Cal/Serv:
85
Ingredients
2 large cucumbers, trimmed
15 g mint, leaves picked plus extra sprigs to garnish
250 ml elderflower cordial
Juice 6 limes
TO SERVE
Ice
Gin, optional
Soda water, chilled, optional
Directions
Step 1Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, shave 8 long ribbons from 1 cucumber, reserving trimmings. Place the ribbons on a plate, cover with damp kitchen paper and chill until needed. Roughly chop remaining shaved and whole cucumber, as well as the reserved trimmings.
Step 2In a large blender or food processor, whizz the chopped cucumber, mint leaves, elderflower cordial and lime juice until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a jug, working the pulp well. Discard pulp. Chill mixture for at least 1hr (up to 8hr).
Step 3To serve short, fill 8 tumblers with ice and add a cucumber ribbon and mint sprig to each. Add a splash of gin to each glass, if using, and pour in the chilled cucumber mixture. If serving long, fill 8 high-ball glasses with ice and add a splash of gin to each glass, if using, and garnish as before. Pour in the chilled cucumber mixture and top up with soda water. Serve.
Make the mixture up to end of step to up to 8hr ahead, cover and chill in the fridge.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
