This Kiwi Cucumber Gin Cocktail is the perfect sugar-free, low carb drink! A homemade kiwi sugar-free simple syrup will make this keto cocktail recipe a favorite at your next party!
Kiwi Cucumber Gin Cocktail
This Kiwi Cucumber Gin Cocktail tastes incredibly refreshing! Kiwi, cucumber, and lime come together for a lightly sweet, bright-tasting drink. It’s perfect for sipping on a hot summer day or pairing with a fresh grilled dinner.
It has no added sugar or sugar alcohols (thanks to the homemade sugar-free simple syrup), but kiwis aren’t super low in natural sugars. For this reason, this tall drink comes in at 6.1 net carbs each. This is higher than most of my other keto cocktails, but it’s too delicious to not share with you!
This drink is beautiful and offers up so many fun garnish possibilities–Perfect for a party! Slice the cucumbers long and have them wrapped around the inside of the glass… Cut the kiwis into stars and thread onto a long cocktail stir stick… Finish off with a perfect lime twist… The eye-catching presentation choices are limitless!
Kiwi Cucumber Gin Cocktail Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need. Keep scrolling to see exact measurements!
- Gin : If possible, pick something with floral notes. Any gin will be great, but a floral one is amazing with the cucumber.
- Cucumber : Cut into chunks or slices
- Mint : Fresh mint leaves are best. If you only have mint extract, add just a few drops at a time… Feel free to add more to your preference once you’ve poured the drink.
- Keto Kiwi Simple Syrup : This is a homemade easy sugar-free simple syrup, made with kiwis, water, lemon juice, and liquid monk fruit sweetener. You can use a store-bought sugar free simple syrup, too.
- Lime Juice : I used freshly squeezed lime juice, but bottled will work just fine as well.
- Sparkling Water : You can use unflavored or flavored sparkling water.
- Ice : I would avoid crushed ice if possible simply because it will melt faster and water down the drink.
How do you make a gin cocktail with cucumber?
Start by putting about 1/4 cup of cucumber chunks and the mint leaves into a cocktail shaker with 1 ounce of your kiwi simple syrup and 1 ounce of lime juice. Muddle the cucumber (mashing it with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon) for at least 30 seconds–Make sure it’s quite macerated.
Next, add your ice and gin to the shaker and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds–If you shake it long enough, you’ll get small icy flecks in your drink that are SUPER refreshing! Strain and pour into a highball or Collins glass, then fill to the top with sparkling water. Garnish with a long cucumber slice, a kiwi slice, or a lime wedge.
Sugar Free Simple Syrup with Kiwi
I make my keto and sugar-free simple syrup by combining this Now Foods Liquid Monk Fruit Sweetener with water. Because erythritol doesn’t dissolve, using a pure monk fruit is the key to a 0-carb, 0-calorie simple syrup.
You could try other brands of liquid monk fruit, but because each brand has their own level of sweetness, I recommend experimenting with half the amount of sweetener first. You can easily adjust the syrup to be sweeter at any point of the process.
To make this simple syrup with kiwi, I brought one cup of water, 2 cups of chopped kiwi (was 5 medium kiwis for me), 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of liquid monk fruit sweetener to a boil. I lowered the heat and allowed it to simmer for 20 minutes, occasionally mashing the kiwi with a potato masher. After 20 minutes, I removed it from the heat and let it cool. Once cooled, I poured the syrup through a fine mesh strainer and stored it in an airtight jar in the fridge.
If you have a plain store-bought sugar free simple syrup, you can use that instead of the water and monk fruit. Gently warm it (don’t bring to a boil–depending on the sweeteners used in it, this could cause it to thicken too much) with the kiwi and lemon juice. Occasionally stir and mash, strain, and store.
What to serve with gin cocktails?
We’re bringing out and complementing the light floral notes of the gin in this recipe, so choosing food that will fit the pallet is quite simple! Certain seafood, berries, and spices would work quite well.
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Seafood:
- These keto crab cakes get perfectly crispy while keeping that light flavor and feel! The added lime zest in the recipe makes this a perfect complementary recipe with this Kiwi Cucumber Gin Cocktail! Just 0.3 carbs per crab cake.
- A 1/4 pound of this Popcorn Shrimp has 3.3 net carbs, and the smokehouse almonds used in the breading adds a beautiful contrast with the floral and citrus notes in this cocktail recipe! For even fewer carbs, try these Grilled Shrimp Skewers — Only 0.7 net carbs for 1/4 pound, and the lemon garlic combo will create a delicious, more complex flavor with this drink.
- Blackened Salmon Skewers provide a bigger punch of flavor! The light sweetness of salmon with the bold spices would contrast perfectly with the refreshing kiwi and cucumber flavors. 2.1 net carbs per serving.
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Fruit:
- I know strawberries are to be limited when keto, but these Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are under 5 net carbs and would be delicious with this drink! Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies (about 2 net carbs each), Keto Cheesecake Strawberries (about 5 net carbs for 4), and this Strawberry Limeade Fruit Pizza (2.7 net carbs per slice) all give a delicious burst of berry flavor without a ton of sugar!
- Citrus will complement the lime, cucumber, and kiwi flavors as well as the gin! Try these Key Lime Pie Bars — So decadent but only 3.1 net carbs each. These Lemon Cookies would be a beautiful addition to a brunch spread, and they have just 1.4 net carbs each. Pair it with another summer favorite — These Orange Creamsicle Cookies have just 2.5 net carbs each.
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Spices & Herbs:
- Heavy spice blends are great with the palate-cleansing flavors of this cocktail! Consider Blackened Pork Chops or Chicken (both super low carb) for an easy meal prep grilled dinner. A Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad has about 7 net carbs but would have the perfect blend of spice and light, crunchy textures. These Cream Cheese Sausage Balls with chorizo would provide a nice contrast to the fresh flavors of the cocktail.
- This drink is the definition of “fresh,” so herbs are a perfect pairing! Anything topped with this Homemade Basil Pesto or Keto Tzatziki Sauce would complement this drink. Salads with fresh basil (like this Cold Asparagus Salad or Chicken Caprese Salad) would provide a fantastic bright flavor without overpowering the drink!
More Keto Cocktails
Happy Hour isn’t cancelled just because you’re keto–There’s a delicious keto cocktail for everyone!
- Gin Lovers: Rosemary Gin Fizz – 1 net carb
- Tequila Crowd: Keto Margarita – 1.4 net carbs
- Whiskey Friends: Blackberry Bourbon Smash – 2.5 net carbs
- Rum Drinkers: Keto Mojito – 1.3 net carbs
Kiwi Cucumber Gin Cocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce kiwi simple syrup
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1/4 cup cucumber
- 6-8 mint leaves
- 3-5 ounces sparkling water
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber pieces and mint leaves with the kiwi simple syrup and lime juice for about 30 seconds.
- Once the cucumber is macerated, add ice and gin. Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
- Strain and pour over ice in a highball or Collins glass. Garnish with mint leaves, kiwis, cucumber slices, or lime wedges.
