Cucumber Lime Gin and Tonics

This weekend I had a party with close friends. One of those parties you have right before you get married. I hate the traditional name for it, so let’s just call it a b-party. A weekend-long extravaganza. Good food, good friends, and probably most importantly, good drinks.

I had one rule for this party. Ok, maybe a couple. No pen*ses, no sashes, no tiaras, no tutu skirts, no tacky, cliche, “traditional” things that people are “supposed” to do at these parties. Ok, forget the no pen*s thing…

Trust me, we were pure class. We had a Bottles & Brushes party. With a live model. A male model. A naked male model. And a BarcaLounger.

Let me tell you – you can’t have a room full of giggly girls with a naked man in the room without cocktails. The cocktails were important. They were essential. Practically mandatory.

I made two – the cucumber lime gin and tonics that are the title of this post, and a watermelon vodka spritzer that was a serious hit. Unfortunately, after too many gin and tonics, I forgot to photograph the watermelon spritzer. They were both perfect for the hot summer day – and the naked man lounging in the BarcaLounger (yes, he enjoyed a cocktail before he dropped his pants).

Cucumber Lime Gin and Tonic

3 cups good quality gin
4 cups tonic
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
3-4 limes, to taste

In a pitcher, squeeze the limes and combine with the cucumbers. Keep the leftover lime in the pitcher and combine with gin and tonic.

Watermelon Vodka Spritzer

juice of a seedless watermelon
5-6 mint leaves
2-3 limes
1 lemon
2-3 cups good quality vodka
2 cups soda water or tonic, if you prefer it a little sweeter

Juice the watermelon using a juicer, or by blending and straining out the pulpy chunks. In a pitcher, muddle the mint leaves in the juice of the lemons and limes. Pour in the juice, vodka, and soda or tonic. Stir to combine.