Cucumber Margarita

As a kid, I remember an oft-played TV commercial that ran in the summertime.  "It's hot, and you need a pool!" the man said, over and over again.  He was right!  At 8 years old, all you want is a pool. 

At my age now, I want a cold drink!  We've got just the ticket: the Cucumber Margarita!

The Ultimate Bar Book, page 293

Cucumber Margarita

1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 cup thinly sliced English cucumber
1 1/2 oz silver tequila
1 oz Cointreau

Put the sugar and lime juice in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass.  Add the cucumber and muddle.  Add the tequila and Cointreau.  Fill the glass with ice and stir.

Damn this is a solid cocktail.  It is a wonderful confluence of the traditional margarita flavors and the fresh taste of summer cucumbers.

Admittedly, I did not use an English cucumber.  I used the more heavily seeded variety that grows in my backyard garden.  If you happen to do the same, remember to take out the seeds in the middle.  Simply slice through the middle and take out the seeds individually with the edge of the knife or you could simply cut out the middle (you'll lose some of the great cucumber taste the more you cut up the middle).

This is a sweet cocktail, no doubt about it. It's sweeter than your usual margarita - there is a tablespoon of sugar in here after all.  It goes down really smoothly though, and isn't sickly sweet. 

I'm particularly a fan of this cocktail because my garden has produced an abundance of cucumbers this year.  It's as though the cucumber plant watched John & Kate plus 8 and got inspired (minus the trashiness, of course - my cucumbers are classy as hell).

Friday, we drink the St. Germain Cocktail.  I'm very excited about this one - and I know JB is too.  Ladies love St. Germain Cocktails.  Love them!  If you're a single guy, buy a bottle for the next time you need to make a drink at your house - it will go over well, I assure you.

See you Friday!