the beverage cart

summer evening garden chiller

May 30, 2013

I recently juiced a jalapeño and thought, “hmmm, what else can I toss in my Breville juicer?”

The answer is pretty much anything.

We’ve had a cold spring here in Boston… which invariably means we are in store for a short summer. Now that we actually have a lawn, payoff from my hard work last year, we will no doubt be outside in the evenings as much as possible.

I’ve mentioned this before, but during the warm months I put away the scotch and bourbon (mostly) instead favoring a crisp and clear palette. I decided that I wanted a beverage that harnessed the brilliant chartreuse sprouting from every tree, garden bed and lilac bush.

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Cucumber has become an ubiquitous ingredient in cocktails–but instead of pairing with, say gin, I decided to go with a silver tequila which I think is an underrated cocktail spirit. A really good silver tequila has the ability to add a unique flavor profile that I find, often times, vodka lacks. Tequila has more potential. Vodka is merely an agent that makes a cocktail–a cocktail.

So, having said that… I broke out my handy juicer (a Breville Juice Fountain–a solid entry-level juicer) and commenced Project: Summer Evening Garden Chiller.

For this cocktail you will need:

  • fresh basil, a large bunch
  • 2 cucumbers, if smaller English cucumbers 4-5
  • soda water/seltzer
  • juice of a few limes
  • silver tequila
  • agave syrup if you prefer a slightly sweeter cocktail

De-stem the basil and toss in the blender. Rinse the cucumber and juice away. (Save some cucumber slices for garnish.)

For each cocktail add approximately 4 oz of the juice, 1 1/2 oz of tequila and a splash of soda and twist of lime. Garnish and serve!

As a side note, I photographed this drink as the sun was setting through the trees…

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1 Comment

  • Avatar
    Reply Robere May 31, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    Hmmm….okay but do you “mow/cut/trim” this lawn ?? The photos i see just show clumps of ?grass inside the inner sanctum. Do you actually “use” that area ? as in lawn chairs ?

    Also, do you feel a juicer is more beneficial (healthwise) than say a “super blender/ smoothie maker” such as a VitaMiix ?

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