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Aloe-ha Cucumber Gin and Tonic

This Aloe-ha Ocean Breeze gin and tonic, aka Cucumber Gin and Tonic, is the freshest of cocktails like an ocean breeze on a warm sunny day. It is not too sweet, it is flavored with aloe vera, cucumber juice, and optionally lychee nectar.

 

Three tall glasses with turquoise cucumber gin and tonic and fresh pink flowers, some palm leaves blurred out in front.

 

It gets its beautiful ocean color from the combination of blue spirulina and cucumber juice. Garnish with Hawaiian flowers like the hibiscus and it will take you straight to the tropical island of your dreams. Sounds dramatic? Maybe. Maybe not. 

 

Why you'll love it

 

You'll love it if you want a cocktail that is 

 

  1. Not overly sweet
  2. Low in calories
  3. Extremely refreshing
  4. Looks fancy
  5. But it is actually easy to make
  6. And can be made by the pitcher!

 

Truth be told, I love a sweet and sour cocktail, like a mojito, apricot rosemary gin fizz, or lavender bee's knees. But sometimes, either to cut through the sweetness of all the other cocktails you've had (no judgment) or just simply not craving something sweet today, I want a cucumber gin and tonic. 

 

Do you need any more reasons to make this fun cocktail? If you crave the ocean, (if you've lived by the sea, you know that urgent feeling sometimes hits you), you can make do with this ocean breeze cocktail. The best thing, of course, would be to enjoy this on the beach! 

 

Turquoise gin and tonics with pink flowers, seen from above.

 

Ingredients

 

  • Gin - wouldn't be a gin and tonic without the gin
  • Tonic water - and the tonic. For the best gins and tonics, head to the Recipe FAQs
  • Cucumber juice - doesn't get more refreshing than cool cucumbers in the summer. Hence why I love this pomegranate and cucumber vodka lemonade too!
  • Aloe vera juice - you can make your own aloe vera juice or just buy it. I buy it as the aloe vera plant isn't common in Norway
  • Blue spirulina powder - just for the color of the drink. But it doesn't hurt that it is considered a superfood!
  • Lychee nectar - I wanted a floral note to this Ocean Breeze G&T, and lychee is an easy way of getting that. If you want the cocktail to be a little sweeter, lychee nectar is the way to go, but omit it if you want a strictly un-sweet cocktail.

 

Step-by-step instructions

 

First, we'll make the cucumber juice (and aloe vera juice if you make it from scratch). There are three easy ways of making cucumber juice. First, you need to wash the cucumber. 

 

  1. Option #1: Cut the cucumber into smaller pieces and juice it in your juicer. This is by far the easiest!
  2. Option #2: Cut the cucumber into smaller pieces and blend it in your blender. You may need to add some water to help it along. Strain the mixture.
  3. Option #3: Grate the cucumber and squeeze it over a bowl with a sieve on top to ensure no cucumber bits follow. For a more thorough explanation, head over to Alpha Foodie's cucumber juice recipe. The leftover pulp is great to use in tzatziki or raita

 

Steps to make cucumber gin and tonic.

 

Now add equal parts cucumber juice and aloe vera juice to your blender (1), along with blue spirulina powder (2) and lychee nectar if using. Blend until all is smooth and let it sit for about 5 minutes (3-4). This will separate the juice from the foam a bit. 

 

In a tall glass, add ice cubes and gin. Then pour in 1 ½ oz (3 tbsp) of the blue juice (5). Hold a spoon over the foam if you want to avoid it. Pour in tonic water. You can also spoon some extra foam on top of the cocktail for a fun ocean foam effect (6)

 

Storage

 

The juice can be stored in the refrigerator for about 1-2 days, but I would blend it again before using it as the blue spirulina sinks to the bottom. It is, however, best right away.

 

Recipe FAQs

 

The standard G&T serving size

A cocktail serving size is often made with 1 ½ oz (3 tbsp) of spirits. In this case, it's gin. And then the serving size will depend on how much tonic water you would want for 1 ½ oz of gin!

 

Three tall glasses with cucumber gin and tonic.

 

The ratio of the best gin and tonic

This comes down to your own preferences. In this recipe, I use 1 part gin, 2 parts tonic water, and 1 part cucumber aloe vera juice. So, you could say, 1 part gin and 3 parts tonic is my best dilution. 

 

The best gin to use

Different types and brands of gin can work better for certain cocktails, check this best gins guide for more information. I personally always use Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin as I think it is a great overall gin for a relatively affordable price tag. This guide also highlights that gin for the best Gin and Tonics, so there you go!

 

Close-up of the turquoise gin and tonic.

 

The best tonic water 

It really depends on your own preferences and availability. The biggest differences in tonics are crispness or freshness, spice, bitterness, and sweetness. However, the size of the bubbles also alters the cocktail. Larger bubbles give a very refreshing mouthfeel, but some might find it too much.

 

I often use the classic Indian tonic water from Schweppes as it is not overpowering at all and it's available everywhere here. However, if I want to splurge, other great options are Fever-Tree with a good balance between bitterness and freshness, and Schweppes Heritage, designed for G&Ts.

 

A tall glass with cucumber gin and tonic and a fresh, pink flower.

 

Expert tips

Extra sweetness without lychee 

Sometimes lychee nectar is unavailable. I use a can of Foco Lychee Nectar, and I buy it at the Asian grocery store here. It can also be available at larger grocery stores. If you can't find lychee nectar, you can use any other sweetener. Lavender honey is a great option or you can use just simple syrup. 

 

When using straight-up sweeteners and not a juice, I would recommend starting small and adding 1 tablespoon honey/syrup and adjusting as you go.

 

Enjoy!

 

Three tall glasses with turquoise cucumber gin and tonic.

 

Did you like this recipe? Here are more summer cocktails I think you’d love:

 

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As thanks, you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

 

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📖 Recipe

Three tall glasses with cucumber gin and tonic.

Aloe-ha Cucumber Gin and Tonic

Yield: 15
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

This Aloe-ha Ocean Breeze gin and tonic, aka Cucumber Gin and Tonic, is the freshest of cocktails like an ocean breeze on a warm sunny day.

Ingredients

Aloe-ha Cucumber Gin and Tonic

  • 1 ½ ounces gin (3 tablespoons)
  • 1 ½ ounces cucumber aloe vera juice, see below (3 tablespoons)
  • 3 ounces tonic water (90 milliliters)

Cucumber Aloe Vera Juice (serves 10-15)

  • 1 cucumber, juiced (1 cup or 230 milliliters juice)
  • 1 cup aloe vera juice (230 milliliters)
  • ⅓-1/2 teaspoon blue spirulina powder (or blue food coloring)
  • 1 cup lychee nectar (230 milliliters, optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash and juice the cucumber. Then juice it, either by using a juicer, the blender or grate it*. The juicer is the easiest. The blender may need some help with extra water, make sure you chop the cucumber in smaller pieces too. Strain the liquid if blending or grating.
  2. In a blender, combine 1 cup cucumber juice with 1 cup aloe vera juice and the blue spirulina powder. If using lychee nectar, add that too.
  3. Blend until smooth and let it rest for 5 minutes so that the foam and the juice separate.
  4. Add ice and gin to a large glass. Pour in 1 ½ ounces of cucumber aloe vera juice and stir (if you want to avoid the foam, hold a spoon over the foam when you pour). Then pour in tonic water. If desired, spoon in some of the foam to make it look like sea foam! Garnish with edible flowers, to make it an extra tropical and fun drink.

Notes

* Leftover grated cucumber pulp can be used for tzatziki or raita.

The juice can be stored, covered, in the fridge for about 1-2 days. Blend it again when ready to drink as the spirulina powder sinks to the bottom. The juice is also delicious on its own!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 drink
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 9.3gFiber: 0gSugar: 9.3gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, estimate for informational purposes only.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or tag @thegingerwithspice on Instagram, I'd love to see!

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Mate Mate TW

Thursday 30th of June 2022

Looks so refreshing and tasty! I love the drink so much and will have it too.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 4th of July 2022

Thank you so much!

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