Light Drinking For Healthy Life

THE COOL GREEN

This is a slightly more savory and herbaceous drink with all the flavors of a summery English garden.The borage flowers are optional but pretty and worth planting in a sunny corner of the garden.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cucumbers, peeled and juiced. Juice, pulp and peel all reserved. Should yield 600ml of juice.
• 120ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin
• 120ml St Germain elderflower liqueur or elderflower cordial
• 400ml soda (or lemonade if your guests have a sweeter tooth)
• Crushed ice
• 4 limes, 10 cheeks cut off, the remains frozen for later use
• Borage flowers (optional)

• METHOD

  • 1
    In the morning, juice the cucumber and prepare the frozen cucumber elements. Press the pulp in an ice cube tray and freeze into blocks. Wind up 12 ribbons of cucumber skin into a dozen “roses” secured with a toothpick. Lay these on a sheet of kitchen paper on a baking tray and place in the freezer.
  • 2
    Fill four long glasses with crushed ice. Pour over 30ml elderflower and then 30ml gin into each glass. Squeeze in a cheek of lime. Next add a quarter of the cucumber water. Top with soda to taste.
  • 3
    Garnish with a second cheek of lime, a cucumber ice cube, a cucumber ribbon rose (toothpick removed), and borage flowers if you can find them.

  • NOTES

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    Tip: Any leftover cucumber ice cubes can be blitzed with chopped jalapeno and a little lime juice to make an ace topping for fresh oysters.