Cooking with Beer (Recipes)

Cucumber Basil IPA Beer Cooler Recipe

India Pale Ales (IPAs) are generally strong flavoured beers, with heavy citrus and floral flavors; and those qualities make them great for cocktails! Check out this great refreshing summer drink recipe.

By Dustin Miller on May. 25, 2016

Cucumber Basil IPA Beer Cooler Recipe

How to make a Cucumber Basil IPA Beer Cooler or Cocktail (AKA CB-IPA Crusher):

 

Beer Coolers weren’t Cool, until now!

I hate the term “Beer Cooler” (and you probably do too); it reminds me of being a freshman and all of the terrible drink choices people made when they first started drinking…especially all of you girly girls out there. So, while this recipe is technically a “cooler”, we’re calling it a beer cocktail to save face; if you need to “masc’ this drink up”, then skip the steps and return to drinking your regularly-scheduled generic adjunct lager.

 

You’re suggesting turning a good IPA into a beer cocktail?!?!?

If you’re a fan of IPAs, you might scoff at the idea of turning an IPA into a cocktail, but you may also appreciate the novelty of an IPA mixed drink over an iceberg, bulldog, chelada or red eye…AAAAND this cocktail will still carry over the great flavours you liked about IPAs in the first place!

 

Here’s what you need, to turn an IPA into a Cucumber Basil IPA Cocktail:

 

Prep Time: 10-15 min

Ingredients for a Cucumber Basil IPA Cocktail

  • 1 ½ ounces vodka
  • 2 basil leaves, chopped
  • 6 slices of cucumbers
  • 3 ounces sparkling lemonade
    NOTE: If you use lemon flavored sparkling water, or any other soda that is unsweetened, make sure to compensate for the lack of sweetness with about 1/2 ounce of simple syrup or agave.
  • 3-6 ounces IPA (a citrus-forward IPA will work best, especially a white IPA)
  • Garnish: cucumber slices and small basil leaves

 

Recipe Directions – Cucumber Basil IPA Cooler

  1. Add the vodka, basil, cucumbers and sparking lemonade to a shaker half filled with ice. Shake several times, pour into an IPA glass.
    NOTE: If you’re making a bunch of these over the afternoon, scale this recipe accordingly and have your cucumber-basil-vodka ingredients premixed and set aside for quick cocktailing when you need them.
  2. Pour beer into the glass, gently stir.
  3. Add cucumbers and basil.
  4. Serve and enjoy immediately.

 

Adapted recipe from Beeroness.

 

Looking for more tasty beer recipes? Look below to find your next favourite one:

Beer Sangria Recipes
Beer Dessert Recipes
Mulled Beer Recipes
Beer Snacks for the Big Game

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