Cucumber Lemonade Recipe

Make syrup

Combine 0.5 cups granulated sugar and 0.5 cups water in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear (do not boil vigorously). This takes about 2–3 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the simple syrup cool to room temperature. You can speed this by placing the saucepan in an ice bath for a few minutes or transferring syrup to a small container and refrigerating until cool (about 10 minutes).

Extract cucumber juice

Place 1 cup peeled, chopped cucumber in a blender with 2 tablespoons of cold water (from the measured water or the 0.75 cups if needed). Blend on high until very smooth, about 30–45 seconds.

Strain the cucumber purée through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. You should get roughly 0.5 to 0.75 cups of cucumber juice. Discard solids.

Prepare lemon juice

If you haven't already, juice fresh lemons until you have 0.33 cups (about 2 medium lemons). Strain seeds and large pulp for a smoother drink.

Combine

In a tall glass or a small pitcher, add the cooled simple syrup (all of it), 0.33 cups fresh lemon juice, the strained cucumber juice, and 0.75 cups cold (or chilled sparkling) water. Add a pinch of salt if using. Stir vigorously for 10–15 seconds to combine and taste.

Taste and adjust: if it's too sweet, add up to 2 tablespoons additional lemon juice; if it's too tart, add 1–2 tablespoons water or a splash more syrup (refrigerate extra syrup first).

Serve

Fill a serving glass with 1 cup ice cubes. Pour the cucumber lemonade over the ice. Garnish with 2 lemon slices and 2 mint sprigs. Serve immediately.