🥒 Refreshing Cucumber Ginger Mint Cooler
Ingredients
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Cucumber: 1 large English cucumber (divided: half for blending, half sliced for garnish).
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Ginger: 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped.
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Lemons: 3 large lemons (2 for juicing, 1 sliced for garnish).
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Mint: 1 large bunch of fresh mint leaves.
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Sweetener: 3–4 tbsp honey, agave, or simple syrup (adjust to taste).
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Water: 4 cups cold filtered water (or sparkling water for a fizz).
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Ice: Plenty of ice cubes.
Instructions
1. Prep the Base
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Blend: In a high-speed blender, combine half of the cucumber (roughly chopped), the chopped ginger, the juice of 2 lemons, and 1 cup of water.
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Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher. Use a spoon to press down on the solids to extract all the juice. Discard the pulp.
2. Sweeten & Mix
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Add your preferred sweetener to the pitcher. Stir vigorously until fully dissolved.
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Pour in the remaining 3 cups of water (or sparkling water).
3. Infuse & Garnish
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Mint: Take a handful of mint leaves, give them a gentle “slap” between your palms to release the oils, and drop them into the pitcher.
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Slices: Add the remaining cucumber slices and lemon rounds into the pitcher. This allows the flavors to infuse further.
4. Serve
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Fill individual glasses with ice.
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Pour the mixture over the ice.
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Garnish: Top each glass with a fresh sprig of mint and a few cucumber slices pressed against the side of the glass, just like in the photo.
Pro-Tips for the Best Flavor
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Make it “Zesty”: For a stronger lemon flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the blender.
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The Ginger Kick: If you love ginger, let the chopped ginger steep in a little hot water for 5 minutes before blending to extract maximum spice.
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Make it a Mocktail: Use chilled club soda or ginger ale instead of plain water for a bubbly, festive version.