I feel compelled to be upfront that there's good news and bad news regarding this drink recipe. First, the bad news: It takes longer than just a few minutes and requires more effort than just a few squirts of citrus. The good news: It's meant to be mass-produced. More good news? This cocktail, adapted from Food Network's Marcela Valladolid, will easily become a party favorite. The cucumber makes it taste fresh, the sugar sweetens it up, the lime offers a tart punch and the vodka is... well, alcohol. Need I say more? Make this drink at your next get-together and your friends will be convinced you skipped the course in bartending and went straight into mixology.

Serves: About 4 Prep time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients: 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 lime, cut into wedges 2 cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced 4 cups water 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/3 cup vodka Ice

1. First make simple syrup: put the 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved completely. Set aside to cool.

2. Peel the cucumbers and cut each one into fourths lengthwise. Then cut out the portion of the insides that have the seeds.

3. In a blender, combine the simple syrup, cucumber, water, and lime juice until smooth. Strain the mixture into a pitcher.

4. Add the vodka to the cucumber mixture and mix well. Serve over ice.

My Notes: Why strain the mixture? Upon blending the cucumber, you'll probably find that the end result is very thick and frothy; it's hardly drinkable. Straining the blend ensures you get a clean, smooth drink.

How strong is this cocktail? Marcela Valladolid's recipe calls for 1/4 cup vodka instead but I found it to be too weak. The cocktail tasted like plain cucumber juice and while that's tasty, I prefer my mixed drinks to have a bit of a kick.