It’s June! The sun is shining, we’re turning our extra bedroom into an office, we got some brand new cute af tank shirts from Gilt, and we’re mixing cucumber and bourbon!

Say what you want about bourbon. Look, I’m fully aware how 2010 it is. Hip cocktail artist types have already moved onto rum, and then agave spirits, and now they’re all toying around with various fortified wines. But literally, I say to you, and to the cocktail hip police, “Whatever.” Bourbon is delicious.

When I first started getting into mixing up drinks in our small, cold, filthy little college apartment, bourbon was the obvious choice. It’s warm, full-flavored, and a pretty satisfying way to end a fifteen-hour day. Beau got me the cutest little skeleton of a bar set for my 22nd birthday: whiskey, vermouth, bitters, gin, tequila, and triple sec. From then on we were both hooked.

Did you know that drinking while writing papers that are due the next day is both a great and terrible idea? But when your boyfriend has a cocktail waiting for you once you walk in the door, it’s really tough to say no, okay? He drank Manhattans, I drank Old Fashioneds. Sometimes we’d get a little more creative and whip up a vanilla bean simple syrup or infuse some lavender and Everclear to make a floral little tincture. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

As with every relationship, ours with bourbon inevitably evolved and shifted. Our schedules finally let up,and we started eating more than just yogurt and free pastries from the coffee shop Beau worked at. The real housewives that we are, Beau fell in love with tequila, and I got wrapped up in wine world. But bourbon will always have a special place in our ~~hearts~~ stomachs!

This drink is for all you thirsty cuties who want something that is acceptably refreshing enough to drink poolside, but strong enough to enjoy fire-side on a cold winter evening. Enjoy!

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Cucumber Old Fashioned

Makes one

2 oz bourbon
1/4 oz mint simple syrup*
2 dashes orange bitters
1 oz fresh cucumber juice*

Build this drink in your serving glass by first pouring in the simple syrup, followed by the bourbon, cucumber juice, and bitters. Add a little cracked ice and give a good stir.

Notes

To make mint simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 2 cups sugar in a small saucepan with 12-15 mint leaves. Bring to a boil and whisk until all sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, then strain out mint leaves before using. Store, sealed and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.
If you don't have a juicer, puree a cucumber in a food processor or blender, then run it through a fine mesh strainer it to get the cucumber juice.

Need some more whiskey? Don't we all?