The cucumber martini, made with gin, elderflower (St. Germain), and fresh cucumber, is summer in a glass. Personally, I never used to be a gin martini lover, however, this cocktail has changed my mind forever. Gin tends to be bold and piny, but this gin and elderflower concoction is smooth, slightly sweet, citrusy and refreshing.

The gin and elderflower cocktail combination seems to be a match made in heaven in terms of the flavor profile. Elderflower is a sweet and floral liqueur that naturally compliments the botanical characteristics of gin. But the real trick resides in the fresh muddled cucumbers.

How to Make a Cucumber Martini

The fresh cucumber juice makes this cucumber-infused cocktail taste spring-like. You have to really pulverize the cucumber slices with a muddler to get the cucumber flavors into the cocktail. Don’t skip this part or wimp out. You can really smell and taste the subtle cucumber notes in every sip—and makes the drink that much more complex.

What Type of Gin Should I Use?

This may be the best cocktail for Hendrick’s gin. Hendrick’s gin is infused with subtle cucumber and rose flavors—so clearly it’s a nice complimentary gin. It’s my favorite gin to use in any fruit-forward cocktail or to sip on the rocks. Otherwise, I’ll use a more traditional dry gin like Plymouth.

There are a wide variety of flavored gins out there to experiment with. Look for ones that have real infused flavors.

Add Fresh Basil for a Twist

Sometimes for a different spin on this cocktail, I will also muddle in fresh basil for an earthy twist. If you like basil, I highly recommend as the flavor is fresh and phenomenal. It will also turn the cocktail green!

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