Farm-osa Recipe

Prepare the cucumber

Peel (optional) and roughly chop the seedless cucumber into 1-inch pieces until you have ~1 cup packed. If using a high-water cucumber, lightly pat pieces with a towel to remove excess surface water.

Make simple syrup base

Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture just comes to a simmer (do not boil vigorously). This should take about 3–4 minutes.

Infuse cucumber

Add the chopped cucumber (and optional mint leaves) to the warm syrup. Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes to extract fresh cucumber flavor without cooking out brightness.

Strain and finish syrup

After steeping, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing lightly on the solids to extract liquid. Discard solids. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to brighten and balance sweetness. Cool the syrup to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Yield: about 1 to 1 1/4 cups syrup. Keeps 7–10 days refrigerated in a sealed container.

Chill glass and gather ingredients

Place a highball or Collins glass in the freezer for a few minutes or fill with ice to chill. Have your chilled sparkling water and syrup ready.

Build the drink

In the chilled glass, add 1 cup ice. Pour in 2 tablespoons seasonal farm syrup (cucumber) and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. If making the alcoholic version, add 1.5 oz gin or vodka now. Stir gently to combine the syrup, citrus, and spirit.

Top with bubbles

Carefully top the mixture with 4 oz chilled sparkling water or club soda. Stir once very gently to integrate without losing too much carbonation.

Garnish and serve

Garnish with a cucumber ribbon or wheel and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately with a straw or stirrer. For a nonalcoholic version simply omit the spirit and proceed the same way.