Cucumber Cooler

styled by Taylor Bennett
photograph by Kelly Moore Clark

This refreshing cocktail infuses aloe and melon syrup with crisp cucumbers and absinthe for a glorious, green sip.

What you need:
1 ounce dry gin
1 ounce aloe melon syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice
5 cucumber wheels
3 cubes honeydew melon
1 dash absinthe
2 oz soda water

Add a dash of absinthe to a cocktail glass and then fill with crushed ice. Muddle cucumber and melon and add to a shaker filled with ice. Next, add gin, syrup and lemon. Shake and strain into glass. Top with soda water. 

How to make the syrup:
In a saucepan, add one tbsp water with a 2 inch piece of aloe vera and 1 1/2 cups of honeydew melon. Simmer for a few minutes. In another pan boil one cup of water. Once it reaches a rolling boil, add water, simmered aloe and melon and sugar to a blender. After blended, strain through a fine mesh and allow to cool before using.