Sip and Paint

After a day at the beach, we enjoy coming home late afternoon for a serene, decompressing activity. Fortunately for us, our mother is an artist with an assorted collection of acrylic paints, funky stencils, canvases and brushes. We turn on some tunes, break out the paints and get after it on the porch. To spark our creativity, we pour a cocktail. A cool, refreshing beverage with a kick seems to be our cocktail mantra for summer, so this blend of Hendrick’s Gin, elderflower liqueur, cucumber, lime and mint does the trick!

Cool Cucumber, Mint, Lime and Gin Cocktail

3 fresh mint sprigs
2-inch piece of English cucumber, cut into large cubes, plus a thin round for garnish
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
1 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
ice

Place the mint sprigs and cucumber cubes into a cocktail shaker. With a muddler or wooden spoon, muddle the ingredients for 1 minute. Add the lime juice and simple syrup and muddle for 1 more minute. Fill the shaker with ice and pour the Hendrick’s Gin and St. Germain on top. Cover and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled glass and serve with or without ice cubes and a cucumber round floater. Makes 1.

With freshly picked cucumber and mint from the garden, you can’t beat this refreshing summer beverage!