Food Recipe Collections & Favorites A Brunch-Worthy Cucumber Spritzer Be the first to rate & review! Lightly effervescent and super refreshing, this cucumber-mint number is perfect for a boozy (but not too boozy) brunch. By Liz Mervosh Liz Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a product tester and recipe developer for the Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama. Highlights: * Went to work at Meredith Food Studios in 2017 * It houses test kitchens for Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and Health * Went to culinary school at The Culinary Institute of America * Got her start working in restaurants Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 15, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Victor Protasio Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 8 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts When does a cocktail seem kind of healthy? When it's this refreshing spritzer made with mint, lime, and cucumber. First, you’ll start by making a simple syrup with equal parts water, sugar, and fresh mint leaves. Then the mint syrup gets blended with cucumber and lime juice. The strained liquid gets mixed with club soda and gin for a lightly alcoholic brunch drink. If you prefer to serve it alcohol-free, swap the gin for more club soda. If you want to mix it up a bit, swap in basil leaves for the mint. If some people prefer a boozy beverage and others don't, skip the gin in the pitcher and stir in 2 tablespoons per glass for the drinkers. Celebrate Snow Days With This Frozen Spiced Apple Snowball Cocktail Ingredients 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup mint leaves 2 medium English cucumbers, coarsely chopped, plus slices for garnish 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 5 limes) 3 cups chilled club soda, plus more for topping off 8 oz. (1 cup) gin (optional) Directions Bring sugar, mint, and 1/2 cup water to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Simmer, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Process chopped cucumbers, lime juice, and cooled mint syrup in a blender until mostly smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium pitcher, pressing gently to squeeze out juice (do not push solids through strainer). Discard solids. Stir in club soda and (if desired) gin. Serve over ice topped off with more club soda and garnished with cucumber slices and mint. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 109 Calories 0g Fat 15g Carbs 0g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 109 % Daily Value * Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 3mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 15g 6% Dietary Fiber 0g 1% Total Sugars 13g Protein 0g 1% Vitamin C 5mg 5% Calcium 25mg 2% Iron 0mg 2% Potassium 93mg 2% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.