Cucumber Cape Codder

Cranberry and cucumber might sound like an odd couple, but the vegetable really mellows out the berry's tartness. From Martha Stewart. Note: Scraping the cucumber makes the drink more pink (and less orange) colored.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  cup sugar
• 1  cup water
• 2  cups English cucumbers, scraped and grated (about 1 cucumber)
• 9  ounces vodka, chilled
• 2  ounces cranberry juice (no sugar added)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
•  ice, for serving

Directions

1. To make the simple syrup, bring sugar and water to a boil in a small pot. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, stir in grated cucumber and let cool. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl or large glass measuring cup and discard solids (you should have 2 cups syrup). The cucumber syrup can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
2. Combine cucumber syrup, vodka, cranberry juice and lime juice in a 2-quart pitcher.
3. Cocktail can be refrigerated up to 8 hours. Serve over ice and garnish with cucumber wedges.