The Cocktail CrafterLooking for a refreshing summer cocktail? The Kiwi Cucumber Cooler is an amazing summer drink that’s light, crisp, and bursting with fresh flavors. This cool cucumber gin cocktail combines botanical gin, fresh lime juice, and a dash of orange bitters with homemade kiwi soda for subtle sweetness and fizz. Perfect for warm days and casual gatherings, this sustainable and unique summer cocktail recipe is easy to make and sure to impress your guests.
Cucumber Kiwi Cooler
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
where to buy - Jigger
where to buy - Hawthorne strainer
where to buy - Fine mesh strainer
where to buy
Ingredients
- 4 cl Botanical Gin choose a cucumber or citrus-forward gin for extra freshness
- 2 cl Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 dash Orange Bitters
- 2 –3 slices Cucumber
- Homemade Kiwi Soda See Recipe Below
- Fresh Mint for garnish
Instructions
- Add gin, lime juice, orange bitters, and cucumber slices to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.
- Double strain into a chilled highball glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top with homemade kiwi soda.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint and a cucumber twirl (use a peeler to shave a long ribbon from a whole cucumber, then roll it into a spiral).
Notes
Slap the mint between your palms to release its aroma before garnishing.
Experiment with flavored gins like Hendrick’s or citrus-forward varieties for a twist.
Why Kiwi is an Underrated Fruit in Cocktails
Despite their unique flavor and refreshing qualities, kiwis are often overlooked in cocktail recipes. Their natural sweetness paired with bright, tangy acidity makes them a fantastic ingredient to elevate any drink.
Sustainable and Flavorful: Making Kiwi Soda from Peels
To minimize fruit waste and maximize flavor, I create a homemade kiwi soda syrup using only the peels—usually discarded in bars and kitchens. This sustainable approach not only reduces waste but also captures intense, zesty notes that make a delicious base for refreshing cocktails.
The Kiwi Cucumber Cooler cocktail blends crisp cucumber, botanical gin, fresh lime juice, and a dash of orange bitters with this vibrant kiwi soda. The cooling cucumber complements the herbal complexity of the gin, while the lime juice and bitters add bright citrus and subtle depth, resulting in a perfectly balanced, refreshing drink.
Ideal for hot summer days and casual get-togethers, this easy-to-make cocktail showcases fresh, natural flavors that are sure to impress. Plus, using kiwi peels in the soda syrup makes the Kiwi Cucumber Cooler a smart, eco-friendly choice for cocktail lovers who care about sustainability and flavor.
Kiwi Soda Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
(where to buy) - Bowl
- Cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel (for straining and squeezing juice)
Ingredients
- Peels from 3 kiwis
- 100 g Sugar initial
- Additional sugar to taste about 55 g extra used
- 0.15 g MSG
- 2 g Salt
- 2 g Malic Acid
- 4 g Citric Acid
- 1 g Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C
Instructions
- Peel your kiwis and place the peels in a bowl.
- Add 100 g sugar to the peels and mix well. Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit until it becomes syrupy (1-2days).
- Scrape the entire mixture, peels and syrup, into a blender.
- Add MSG, salt, malic acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid directly to the blender.
- Blend on high until fully combined.
- Taste the syrup and add additional sugar as needed to balance acidity and sweetness (about 55 g extra sugar was used).
- Strain the syrup through a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel, squeezing firmly to extract all remaining juice from the peels.
- To make kiwi soda, mix 1 part syrup with 5 parts soda water.
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