The BEST Cucumber Martini Recipes

This cucumber martini recipe is a crisp and cool take on a classic martini. 

For this recipe we used our homemade cucumber gin recipe but you could actually buy cucumber gin at the store. 

It is so easy to make homemade cucumber infused gin that I highly recommend it but it does take a bit of pre-planning, so we leave that decision to you. 

You can usually find cucumber gin in liquor stores if homemade isn’t on your to-do list.

What ingredients are in a cucumber martini?

A cucumber martini only needs three ingredients. 

Technically, you could make this recipe with only two ingredients but I feel that all cocktails deserve a bit of flair.

Cucumber infused gin

These days you can buy all types of infused gin at liquor stores but we prefer to make our own cucumber infused gin.

It only takes five minutes of preparation and 72 hours in the fridge.

Dry vermouth

It can get a bit confusing to discern when to use dry vermouth and when to use sweet vermouth. 

A good rule of thumb is that dry vermouth is traditionally used in martinis. 

It has less sugar and complements a dry liquor such as vodka or gin better than its counterpart sweet vermouth. 

Also, the fresher the vermouth the better the cocktail. 

Since a tiny bit of vermouth goes a long way, those of us with home bars are guilty of keeping a bottle of vermouth around longer than we really should, even though it stays in the refrigerator. 

So consider replacing that bottle of vermouth next time you are at the liquor store. 

This is more a note to myself than to anyone.

Cucumber Slices

A fresh cucumber is a delicious food to have around. 

Slice yourself a few pieces of cucumber and add them to your cocktail.

How to garnish your cucumber martini

We recently upped our game with cocktails. We purchased some nice new martini glasses. 

Then we purchased these gorgeous cocktail picks. 

I experimented with quite a few different ways to make cucumber garnishes and a lot of the Youtube videos that I watched made it all look so easy to do…

But in the end, making a rose out of cucumber slices was just too much for me. 

What I did instead was create a cucumber ribbon. 

To do this, I used a vegetable peeler and sliced cucumber lengthwise a few times. 

The reason that I did it a few times was because I didn’t want that first slice to be nothing but the outer skin of the cucumber. 

Then once I have a long cucumber ribbon that I like, I thread it on the cocktail pick weaving it back and forth. 

For reference, check out the image below.

Recipe Variations

• Add a twist of lime to the cocktail for an extra bit of flavor. Lime and cucumber complement one another nicely.
• If you have any fresh mint or thyme on hand consider adding one of them to the shaker before mixing the drink. I wouldn’t combine both of these in the same cocktail. 
• If you want to add a hint of sweetness you could add a splash of simple syrup to the cocktail.

Supplies to gather

• Cocktail Shaker
• Cocktail Measuring Glass
• Jigger
• Cocktail Strainer
• Martini Glasses
• Vegetable Peeler
• Cocktail Picks

The bottom line

Cucumber martinis are a refreshing twist on the classic martini; they are refreshing and go down smooth. 

Be careful though because they go down so smoothly that a second or third might sound nice. 

But the next morning, you may have some regrets there.  

The cucumber can hide the gin’s bite and can make this a dangerous drink, so you know the drill. 

Please drink responsibly.