For those of us who want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a drink a little more elevated than green beer, but equally as festive, we bring you the Cucumber-Mint Sparkler. Its two main ingredients – cucumber and mint – are fun to play with, especially in cocktails. Not only are their colors perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but they both add a vibrant and spring-like flavor that pairs lovely with Frank Family’s sparkling Blanc de Blancs. This whimsical and easy recipe yields one cocktail, but we have a feeling you’ll want to make it a double this March 17th.
Ingredients
2 each
Mini cucumbers
1 each
Lime
½ oz
Vodka
2 tsp
Mint simple syrup (recipe below)
3 oz
Frank Family Blanc de Blancs
To taste
Mint sprigs for garnish
Ingredients: Mint Simple Syrup
½ Cup
Granulated sugar
½ Cup
Water
½ Cup
Fresh mint leaves
METHOD
To make the mint simple syrup, bring the sugar, water, and mint leaves to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the mint leaves out. Allow time to cool before using.
Cut off a 1-inch piece of cucumber and finely chop. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the chopped cucumber with the juice of half a lime (keep the remaining half for garnish). Add the vodka, simple syrup, and ice and shake vigorously.
Before serving, garnish a stemless wine glass with cucumber ribbons. Gently run down the length of the cucumber with a vegetable peeler to form a thin strip. Wrap 2-3 cucumber ribbons around the inside of the glass.
Strain cocktail shaker into the glass filled with ice.
Marisa Murray is the lead writer and editor for the Frank Family blog and magazine. As the winery’s Brand Manager, she holds an MBA in Wine Marketing and Management from the Bordeaux International Wine Institute as well as a WSET III certification. Marisa is also an avid photographer, passionate traveler, and published writer.
Our family's interest in wine has grown from a passion into a business. What started as just 200 cases in 1993 has grown to become a renowned flagship winery in Napa Valley.
