Barsys
Court Cooler
About
If the spritz is the floral one, the Court Cooler is the drink for people who do not want sweet.
This is the clean, savory end of the mixlist - a tall, sparkling cooler built around cucumber, which is one of the few flavors that reads as refreshing before you have even tasted it. There is no liqueur here, no sugar hiding in the background. Just vodka, lemonade, cucumber, and soda, stretched long over ice and meant to be drunk cold and fast on a hot day.
Fresh lemonade brings the tartness and does most of the flavoring. Cucumber juice is the signature - a full ounce and a quarter of it, cool and faintly green, the thing that gives the drink its spa-water calm and keeps it feeling light rather than sharp. Grey Goose vodka runs clean underneath without adding weight, and club soda over the top lifts the whole thing into something crisp and lightly sparkling. A lemon wheel finishes it with a twist of citrus oil.
There is no old recipe behind this one; it is a modern cooler built for the US Open mixlist. But it earns its place by doing something the sweeter drinks cannot - staying genuinely refreshing all the way down, with nothing to tire the palate. On the hottest afternoon of the tournament, this is the one you actually want in your hand.
Shaken or Stirred? Built and gently stirred, never shaken. Everything but the soda goes into the glass over ice with one easy stir to bring it together, then the club soda goes on last with a single lift of the spoon. Shaking would knock the fizz flat and froth the lemonade. The cucumber wants to stay clear and clean, not whipped, so the lightest touch is the right one.
What You'll Need
- 1.5 oz Grey Goose Vodka
- 2 oz Fresh Lemonade
- 1.25 oz Cucumber Juice
- Ice cubes
Glass: Highball glass
Garnish: Lemon wheel and Club Soda, to top
Pro Tip: The cucumber juice is only as good as the cucumber. Use a firm English or garden cucumber, blend it, and strain it well so the juice runs clean rather than pulpy. Bottled or over-diluted cucumber water reads watery and dull, and this drink has nowhere to hide it.
How to Make It
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
- Fill a highball glass with cubed ice.
- Add the Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, and cucumber juice.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Top with club soda and give it one light lift with the spoon.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and serve.
Using Barsys AI Cocktail Maker?
The Court Cooler has a narrow target. Too much cucumber juice and it tastes watery and flat; too little and you lose the whole point of the drink. The lemonade has to stay in check as well, or the savory-fresh balance tips into sour.
Barsys 360 AI Cocktail Maker pours the vodka, lemonade, and cucumber juice to spec so that green, spa-clean balance is right before the soda ever goes on. In a drink this stripped-down, the ratio is not a detail - it is the recipe - and that is exactly the part worth taking out of guesswork.
For the full recipe, download the Barsys App.
Tasting Notes
The Barsys Edge
The Court Cooler looks like the easiest drink on the list, and in a way it is - but that simplicity is also the risk. With no liqueur and no sugar to lean on, there is nothing to paper over a sloppy pour. The cucumber-to-lemonade ratio is the entire character of the drink, and it is fussier than it looks.
Barsys keeps that ratio locked so the cooler comes out clean and balanced every time, not watery on one pour and too tart on the next. Get the base right and the drink practically makes itself; get it wrong and no garnish will save it.
Sip Setting
This is the drink for the peak of the heat. When it is too hot for anything rich or sweet, a Court Cooler is the glass that actually cools you down - poolside, on a porch, or through the hottest stretch of an afternoon match.
It batches beautifully, which makes it a smart pour for a crowd: mix the base by the jug, keep cold soda and a few cucumbers on hand, and build tall glasses as needed. Low in alcohol, high in refreshment, and impossible to tire of.
Garnish Game
A lemon wheel is the specified finish, and it does the job - a clean disc of citrus against the ice, adding oil and shine to every sip.
If you want the glass to announce what is in it, a long cucumber ribbon curled inside the highball is the move: it reads instantly as fresh and green and doubles down on the drink's identity. A sprig of mint works too. Whatever you choose, keep it crisp and simple - this is a drink that should look as clean as it tastes.
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FAQs
What is a Court Cooler?
A tall, low-alcohol vodka cooler made with Grey Goose, fresh lemonade, cucumber juice, and club soda, served over ice in a highball with a lemon wheel.
Is it shaken or stirred?
Built and gently stirred. The soda goes on last and should never be shaken, or the drink loses its fizz.
What glass should I use?
A highball glass filled with cubed ice. It suits a tall, sparkling cooler.
Is it strong?
No. With 1.5 oz of vodka stretched long with lemonade, cucumber, and soda, it is a light, easy-drinking cooler made for the heat.
Is it sweet?
Barely. The only sweetness comes from the lemonade, and the cucumber and soda keep the drink clean and dry rather than sugary.
How do I make cucumber juice?
Blend a peeled English or garden cucumber and strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth for a clean juice. Skip the seeds if you want it smoother.
Can I make it without alcohol?
Yes. Leave out the vodka and build the same way with lemonade, cucumber juice, and soda for a crisp, non-alcoholic cucumber cooler.
Can I use a different vodka?
Yes. Grey Goose is the house pour, but any clean, neutral vodka works well here since the cucumber and lemon lead the flavor.
When should I serve it?
On hot afternoons, poolside, at summer cookouts, and during long US Open watch sessions when you want something refreshing rather than boozy.