How about kicking off the Memorial Day weekend festivities with a Rum Cucumber Cooler? A summertime cocktail made with fresh cucumber juice, a tasty ginger lime simple syrup and white rum. Refreshing and delicious! And while you’re enjoying this cocktail, please take a moment to remember the true meaning of the holiday and pay tribute to our fallen heroes!
The folks at Blue Chair Bay Rum asked if I’d like to create a Memorial Day cocktail using their delicious white rum and I was more than happy to oblige! For most people, Memorial Day marks the start of the summer season. When I think of summer cocktails, I think of rum! Blue Chair Bay Rum is a delicious rum from Kenny Chesney, distilled in Barbados and perfect for all your favorite summertime beach inspired cocktails. Blue Chair Bay Rum also comes in a few different flavors like coconut, banana and vanilla. The white rum I sampled is smooth and clean and perfect to use in this refreshing Rum Cucumber Cooler. I’m betting the other flavors would make some fantastic cocktails as well!
Like most tropical drinks, my rum drinks are typically fruity and on the sweeter side. Sometimes they even include an umbrella! I wanted to try something a little less sweet and more refreshing. And since I’m really into cucumber drinks lately, I wanted to make a cocktail with fresh cucumber juice.
Cucumber juice is so easy to make, just peel a couple cucumbers, toss them into a blender and puree. I suppose you could use the puree, but I prefer to strain it to remove the pulp. You’re left with crisp, refreshing cucumber juice.
The ginger-lime simple syrup adds some tartness to the cocktail with the lime and a bit of spice from the ginger. It’s a really fantastic simple syrup that blends well with other rum/juice combinations too! I basically replaced the water in a standard simple syrup with lime juice and added a bunch of grated ginger, let it steep, then cool and strain.
I think you’ll enjoy this Rum Cucumber Cooler. It’s unique and was given all around thumbs up from my game night friends when I taste tested it on them last week. Cheers!
Rum Cucumber Cooler
Ingredients
- 2 oz. white rum (I used Blue Chair Bay)
- 1 oz. ginger lime syrup
- 2 oz. fresh cucumber juice (made from 2 cucumbers)
- top off with club soda
For the Ginger-Lime Simple Syrup
- 1 C. sugar
- 1 C. fresh lime juice
- 4 Tbls. grated ginger
Instructions
- Make the syrup: In small saucepan, combine sugar, lime juice and grated ginger. Bring to a boil (be careful to not let it boil over), reduce heat and simmer a couple minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool. Strain and keep in refrigerator.
- Make cucumber juice: Peel two cucumbers and dice in large chunks. Put chunks in blender and blend until smooth. Strain puree over fine mesh strainer into bowl. Toss solids and reserve juice in jar in refrigerator.
- Make the cocktail: Add rum, ginger lime syrup and cucumber juice to a cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake well and pour in glass filled with crushed ice. Top with some club soda (use as much or as little club soda as you like. I used about 2 ounces).
Notes
Store left over ginger lime syrup in refrigerator. Use in more cocktails or try it in iced tea! You could also cut the amount of ingredients in half to make less syrup if you want.
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Disclosure: Blue Chair Bay Rum sent me a bottle of their White Rum to sample. Opinions are my own. You can find out more about Blue Chair Bay Rum on their Facebook page.