Cucumber Basil Gin and Tonic

I’m gonna be honest with you– I had a very tame weekend filled with tbs movie marathons, trying to get work done on my laptop, and fried foods.

And even though I’m not leaving any crazy spree of excitement behind as I enter the work week, I’ve got to say, I have a serious case of the Mondays today.  A case of the Mondays that can and will only be cured by an after-work Cucumber Basil Gin and Tonic.

I don’t proclaim myself to be any sort of cocktail guru.  I mix together what I like and I give it a shot (or sometimes take a shot of it), and if I like it enough to tweak it to perfection, I will.  However, up until this point, gin was never on the “what I like” list.  To me, it always tasted like the unwanted child of pine trees and rubbing alcohol.

But oh man, had I been missing out!  I realized last week just how great gin could be when given the chance, after receiving a surprise Father’s Day care package from BevMo!  Note: I am not a father, and I’m 99.9% sure I will never be one, because… you know… anatomy, but I enjoyed the package nonetheless.

Nestled in the package, among a bunch of other great stuff, were 2 bottles of Distillery No. 209 gin and a bottle of tonic.  I don’t stick my nose up at free alcohol, so even though gin wasn’t quite my thang, I decided I’d try to mix it up with some of my favorite cocktail ingredients and see if I wound up with something drinkable.

Spoiler alert: I wound up with a new favorite cocktail.

Gin, tonic, basil, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and cucumber.  That’s what you need to make one of the most refreshing and delicious cocktails you’ve ever had.  This drink would be perfect to serve up to Dad on Father’s Day, or to lounge outside with on a hot summer day.  Or to drink in your house on a Monday night, like I’ll be doing in 7 1/2 hours.

Cucumber Basil Gin and Tonic really is a new favorite of mine!  Who’d have thought?  I bet, if you give it a try, it will be a new favorite for you, too!

Cucumber Basil Gin and Tonic

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Morgan
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 2 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 oz gin
• 2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 sprigs basil, plus more to garnish
• 1 cucumber
• Tonic
• Ice

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Instructions

1. Using a vegetable peeler, slice thin ribbons of cucumber and place in your cocktail glasses. From the remaining cucumber, cut off 5-6 chunks to muddle into the cocktail, and save the rest.
2. Squeeze the lime juice into a cocktail shaker and add the gin, St Germain, basil, and cucumber chunks.
3. Muddle the ingredients well, and then add ice.
4. Shake well, then pour to divide between 2 glasses. Top with tonic and garnish with basil.

• Prep Time: 5 mins