Drinks
Cucumber and Ginger Agua Fresca
Cucumber blends with ice and a ginger-spice syrup for this chilled drink. The syrup steeps with habanero, star anise and cloves, then gets strained before it meets the cucumber and lemon.
- Servings
- 4
- Cuisine
- Mexican-inspired
Bring it to the table
Strain the syrup, then the drink
The first straining removes the ginger, chile and whole spices. A second straining after blending catches cucumber pulp for a smoother drink. Habanero heat varies, so taste the syrup before adding it all.
At the table
Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with cucumber ribbons or thin slices. Stir the pitcher before pouring more servings.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 1 small English cucumber — about 8 oz for the base batch, plus ribbons or slices for garnish
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger — scrubbed and sliced
- 1 habanero chile — halved; heat varies
- 10 star anise pods
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups ice — plus more for serving
A few useful notes.
The base batch makes about 4–6 servings; the serving control starts at 4.
Habaneros vary in heat. Straining removes the chile pieces but does not guarantee a mild drink.
Let the syrup cool before blending it with the ice and cucumber.
The cooking plan
How to make Cucumber and Ginger Agua Fresca.
-
Peel the cucumber and reserve its peel. Cut the flesh into roughly 1-inch pieces and put them in a blender.
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Combine the sugar, ginger, halved habanero, star anise, cloves, reserved peel and water in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 10 minutes.
-
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Let it cool before adding it to the blender. Taste a little of the syrup to judge the chile heat; begin with less syrup if needed and reserve the rest.
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Add the lemon juice and measured ice to the blender with the cucumber and syrup. Blend until smooth. Taste and add any reserved syrup as desired, then strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher.
-
Pour into glasses filled with ice and garnish with cucumber ribbons or slices. Stir the pitcher before serving additional glasses.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Cucumber and Ginger Agua Fresca
Ingredients
- 1 small English cucumber about 8 oz for the base batch, plus ribbons or slices for garnish
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger scrubbed and sliced
- 1 habanero chile halved; heat varies
- 10 star anise pods
- 1 tsp whole cloves
1 cup water
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups ice plus more for serving
Instructions
- Peel the cucumber and reserve its peel. Cut the flesh into roughly 1-inch pieces and put them in a blender.
- Combine the sugar, ginger, halved habanero, star anise, cloves, reserved peel and water in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Let it cool before adding it to the blender. Taste a little of the syrup to judge the chile heat; begin with less syrup if needed and reserve the rest.
- Add the lemon juice and measured ice to the blender with the cucumber and syrup. Blend until smooth. Taste and add any reserved syrup as desired, then strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher.
- Pour into glasses filled with ice and garnish with cucumber ribbons or slices. Stir the pitcher before serving additional glasses.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
Why strain twice?
First remove the whole spices, chile, ginger and cucumber peel from the syrup. After blending, strain again to remove cucumber pulp.
Will this drink be spicy?
It can be. Habanero heat varies, so taste the cooled syrup and add it gradually rather than assuming every chile will give the same result.
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