Cucumber Mojito

This twist on the classic cocktail is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Mojitos are hands-down a great summer drink you can make in a big batch which makes hosting a breeze (also see our recipes for piña colada, spring sangria, pineapple mint margarita and frosé if you’re looking for more big batch cocktails). This is also great as a virgin drink as well, so if you’re hosting a variety of different guests you can easily make two different batches to make everyone happy.

Havana, Cuba, is the birthplace of the mojito, which makes sense because it’s exactly the drink you want in hand when there’s a heat wave. The combination of lime, mint and soda water is hella refreshing. And to make it even more refreshing, we added cucumber into the mix. The end result is a highly crushable cocktail, which paired perfectly with our day of lawn games.

We recommend making a big batch, so here’s our recipe for a pitcher of four drinks:

• 4 oz of rum
• 4 oz of simple syrup
• 8 or more stems of mint
• Half of a cucumber, sliced
• Juice of four limes
• Soda water (you’ll want at least 1/2 L on hand)
• Lime wheels (for garnish)
• Plenty of ice
• Muddler
• Pitcher

Place the mint leaves into the pitcher. Use the muddler to crush the mint, releasing the natural oils. Next, add the lime juice, cucumber, rum and simple syrup. Fill the pitcher almost to the top with ice, then top with soda water. Stir, give it a taste and add more simple syrup (or let’s be honest, rum) if you’d like. Garnish each glass with a lime wheel.