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Home » Recipes » Drinks

Cucumber and Basil Italicus Cocktail

by kisitalian, Dec 8, 2022 updated Aug 9, 2023

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This Italicus cocktail is so refreshing and a little bit sweet and tart which is how I love my cocktails. This cocktail has gin, Italicus, basil syrup and cucumber juice. This makes the perfect drink to entertain with since you can make all of the components ahead of time. Serve this with whipped lemon ricotta , or a ricotta tomato galette for a delicious aperitivo snack to go along with it.

italicus cocktail

If you are here, the chances are you are already familiar with Italicus liqueur, at least a little bit 🙂

Italicus is a newer Italian aperitif that is made from Bergamot and is sourced from the Calabrian region of Italy. It has floral notes of rose petals and lavender along with herbal notes and it makes a great addition to citrus cocktails.

I have been addicted to this stuff ever since I tried this cocktail at a local Italian restaurant here in Austin called Red Ash. This drink was on the menu and it was absolutely delicious. I knew even before trying it that I would love it since I already loved the flavors of basil, cucumber and lemon.

This is my version that I recreated at home. It is every bit as delicious!

You can easily make all of the components of this cocktail ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to make and pour the drinks. This makes entertaining with this cocktail for a larger group so much easier.

cucumber and basil cocktail

Ingredients you will need

  • Italicus liqueur (Italicus Rosolio Di Bergamotto): This is an Italian liqueur made with rose petals and Bergamont from the Calabrian region of Italy. I use it in my Sicilian lemon basil martini too!
  • Gin: A nice smooth gin. Any brand will work.
  • Basil Syrup (recipe below)
  • Cucumber juice. (recipe below)
  • Fresh lemon juice

Pro-Tip

If you have extra fresh basil after making this recipe you will want to check out my freezing basil in olive oil which shows you how to preserve it and make sure nothing goes to waste.

How To Make Cucumber & Basil Italicus Cocktail

This Italicus drink is very easy to make. It only requires a little prep work ahead of time to make the basil syrup and cucumber juice.

  1. Make the basil syrup. To make the basil syrup just make a simple syrup with sugar and water and add ¼ cup of fresh basil and let it steep in the syrup until cool.
  2. Make cucumber juice. To do this you add a seedless cucumber to a high powered blender with a little water and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove any thick pulp then refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Shake: Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well for 1 minute.
  4. Serve: Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon rind.

Cocktail Tip! If you have a juicer, you can make the cucumber juice portion of this cocktail that way. Both methods work.

cucumber basil italicus cocktail
Cucumber and Basil Italicus Cocktail.

The color of this cocktail is so vivid from the cucumber juice. The Italicus color is actually almost clear.

It is the Italicus glass bottle that is that beautiful turquoise color.

Pairing Ideas to go with this Italicus Cocktail

  • white bean bruschetta
    White Bean Bruschetta
  • ricotta cookies with lemon glaze
    Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies
  • A top view of the tortellini pesto pasta salad on a plate on the counter.
    Tortellini Pasta Salad With Pesto Genovese
  • ciabatta garlic bread
    The Best Ciabatta Garlic Bread
italicus cocktail

Cucumber and Basil Italicus Cocktail

Melissa
A refreshing cocktail made with Italicus and Gin that is perfect for sipping on anytime of year.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine Italian
Servings 1 drink
Calories 975 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 cocktail shaker
  • 1 martini glass

Ingredients
  

Cocktail

  • 1 ounce Italicus
  • 1 ounce Gin
  • ¾ ounce Basil syrup
  • 1 ½ ounces Cucumber juice
  • 1 lemon juiced

Basil Syrup recipe

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup Fresh basil

Cucumber juice recipe

  • 1 seedless cucumber skin peeled
  • 1 cup water

Instructions
 

Making the basil syrup

  • Add water, sugar and basil to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer until sugar dissolves then remove from the heat.
  • Allow to cool then strain our basil.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use.

Making the cucumber juice

  • Add cucumber and water to a high powered blender and mix until completely smooth.
  • Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use.

Making the cocktail

  • Add 1 cup of ice and all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
    1 ounce Italicus, 1 ounce Gin, ¾ ounce Basil syrup, 1 ½ ounces Cucumber juice, 1 lemon
  • Shake well for one minute.
  • Pour into martini glass and garnish with a little lemon peel.

Nutrition

Calories: 975kcalCarbohydrates: 237gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 48mgPotassium: 684mgFiber: 5gSugar: 223gVitamin A: 686IUVitamin C: 68mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Comments

    5 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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  1. Bill says

    December 08, 2022 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    We really enjoyed this!

    Reply
  2. T.botelho says

    February 17, 2024 at 3:18 am

    5 stars
    I have tried many different cocktail recipes online and some of them are good, but most of them are just horrible, and I would never make them again. Then I tried this recipe. My wife and I both think this is delicious and light and super simple to make. Trust me, I've tried some very elaborate drinks, and to be honest, this beats them all. I host a Halloween cocktail party every year and this will be my go to this year. Only thing i will probably add is a smoke bubble to the top of the glass for wow factor and the flavor and vibrant color of the drink will do the rest. I'm sure it's a winner. I don't leave comments on really anything but I felt this cocktail is that good where people need to know to try this one. You'll be happy you did.

    Reply
    • kisitalian says

      February 17, 2024 at 3:16 pm

      I love hearing that! Thank you for sharing and so glad you enjoyed it. I also love your idea for the WOW factor 🙂

      Reply
  3. CNote says

    September 21, 2024 at 6:28 pm

    How much lemon juice per cocktail?

    Reply
    • kisitalian says

      September 22, 2024 at 1:01 pm

      Hi. It is about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
Making tagliatelle for ragu alla Bolognese.

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