Cucumber mocktails: lime, elderflower and mixer variations

A cucumber mocktail is an alcohol-free drink built on fresh cucumber juice or a blended cucumber base. Lime adds sourness, a sweetener balances it, and a sparkling mixer lightens it. The three documented versions below differ mainly in how the cucumber is prepared and which mixer finishes the glass: a blended cucumber-lime cooler topped with mineral water, an elderflower spritz built from measured cucumber juice, and a sweetened, warmed cucumber base stretched with coconut water and soda.

Which cucumber mocktail to make

Simple cucumber lime mocktail (blended, serves four)

Vibrant Plate's version is the most direct route because everything except the bubbles and ice goes into the blender at once. It makes four servings.

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 tbsp mint leaves
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup carbonated mineral water
• 2 cups ice
• Optional garnish: cucumber slices, lime and mint

• Blend the cucumber, water, lime juice, mint, maple syrup and salt until smooth.
• Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth to remove the pulp.
• Add the mineral water and ice, then serve, garnished if you like.

The salt is a small but deliberate touch: a pinch sharpens the cucumber flavor without making the drink taste salty. Add the mineral water only at the end so it keeps its fizz.

Cucumber elderflower spritz (single drink)

Mindful Mocktail's spritz is built one glass at a time and depends on measured proportions rather than a pitcher. Elderflower syrup, often sold as cordial (the British term for a concentrated fruit or flower syrup), adds a floral sweetness that pairs naturally with cucumber.

• 2 oz cucumber juice
• ½ oz elderflower syrup or non-alcoholic elderflower cordial
• 1 oz lime juice
• ½ cup soda water or a non-alcoholic sparkling wine alternative
• Ice

To make the juice, blend about 2 inches of cucumber with 2 tbsp water and strain it. Then measure out 2 oz. Cucumbers vary in size and water content, so don't assume one batch gives you exactly that amount. Fill a glass with ice, add the cucumber juice, elderflower and lime, top with the sparkling mixer, and stir gently so the bubbles survive.

Read the label on whichever elderflower product you buy, not just its name. Check the full ingredient list and any alcohol declaration. Some elderflower liqueurs look similar to cordials on the shelf, and the same applies to the sparkling wine alternative.

Batching the spritz for four

Illustrative example: multiplying the single-drink spritz by four gives 8 oz measured cucumber juice, 2 oz elderflower syrup, 4 oz lime juice and 2 cups soda water. Combine the cucumber juice, elderflower and lime ahead of time and keep the mix chilled. Add the soda to each ice-filled glass when serving rather than to the whole batch, so every drink stays sparkling.

Cucumber coconut water mocktail

Cook with Manali takes a different approach. The cucumber base is gently cooked with lime and sugar, which makes it closer to a light cucumber syrup and gives it a rounder, sweeter flavor. Coconut water and soda then stretch it into tall drinks.

• Puree a peeled English cucumber of about 206 g. English cucumbers are the long, thin-skinned, nearly seedless variety sold shrink-wrapped in US stores.
• Warm the puree with the juice of 1 small lime and 1 to 2 tbsp sugar until combined, then strain.
• In each glass, muddle lime and mint (press them firmly with a muddler or spoon to release juice and aroma) and add ice.
• For each large drink, pour in 3 oz of the prepared cucumber juice, 2 oz coconut water and about 3 oz soda water.

This base made two large drinks. For smaller glasses, keep the 3:2 ratio of cucumber juice to coconut water and scale the soda to taste. For example, use 1½ oz cucumber juice to 1 oz coconut water.

Core cucumber mocktail ingredients and swaps

• Cucumber: peeled for a paler, smoother juice. Always strained, whether blended raw or warmed.
• Acid: fresh lime juice in all three versions.
• Sweetener: maple syrup, elderflower syrup or cordial, or sugar cooked into the base. Swapping one for another changes both sweetness and flavor, so adjust gradually.
• Herb: mint, blended in, muddled or used as a garnish.
• Mixer: carbonated mineral water, soda water, a non-alcoholic sparkling wine alternative, or coconut water combined with soda.
• Ice and garnish: cucumber slices, lime wheels and mint sprigs.