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Ingredients
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Cucumber-Coconut Base
Finish & Service
Method
Cucumber-Coconut Base
- 1
Prepare cucumber
Wash the Hmong cucumbers. If skin is thick, peel partially; otherwise leave skin on for color. Cut off the ends and roughly chop until you have about 1 1/2 cups packed pieces.
- 2
Infuse lime leaf
Stack the two lime leaves, roll them tightly and finely shred (chiffonade). Reserve a small pinch for garnish and add the rest to a small bowl with the cold water to let the aroma release while you prepare the cucumber.
- 3
Blend base
In a blender combine chopped cucumber, unsweetened coconut milk, shredded lime leaves (not the reserved pinch), fresh lime juice, simple syrup, the infused cold water, and a pinch of fine salt. Blend at high speed until very smooth, about 30–45 seconds.
- 4
Strain (optional)
For a silky cooler, pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. If you prefer a pulpy texture, skip this step.
- 5
Chill base
Taste and adjust sweetness or lime. Cover and chill the strained (or unstrained) base in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes while you prepare glasses; the flavors meld and it will be cold when served.
Finish & Service
- 6
Assemble drink
Fill two serving glasses with ice (about 1/2 cup ice per glass). Divide the chilled cucumber-coconut base evenly between the two glasses (about 1/2 cup base per glass).
- 7
- 8
- 9
Serve
Serve immediately while fizzy and cold. Stir briefly before drinking if separation occurs. Optionally adjust with extra simple syrup or lime juice to taste.