Ginger Lemon and Cucumber Water

Thin slices of cucumber, fresh lemon, and ginger infuse cold water with a bright, spa-water flavor that's perfect for warm days or whenever you want something more flavorful than plain water.

Gently muddled fresh ginger adds a light gingery flavor to the water. For a stronger ginger-flavored water, I've also included a grated ginger option below.  For the best flavor, chill the water for at least 1 hour so the cucumber and ginger have time to infuse.

It only takes a few minutes to make a pitcher of lemon ginger and cucumber water to enjoy at a summer party or to change up plain water.  For more refreshing beverages, try mango agua fresca, cucumber lemon and mint infused water, passion fruit mocktails, or a frozen pineapple slushie.

Ingredient notes

Please see the recipe card below for exact measurements for the water infused with cucumber, lemon, and ginger.

Cucumber - We tested this infused water with English cucumbers and garden cucumbers. Either will work, but we thought garden cucumbers gave the water a better cucumber flavor.

English cucumbers have thin skin and small seeds, while garden cucumbers have thicker skin and larger seeds. If your cucumber is waxed or the skin tastes bitter, peel it first. Otherwise, peeling isn't necessary for cucumber water, and the green peel adds a pretty pop of color with the lemon slices.

Thinly slice the cucumber and discard the ends before adding it to the pitcher. For more drinks with cucumber, try a cucumber smoothie with pineapple or a mango cucumber smoothie.

Lemon - Fresh lemon tastes better than bottled lemon juice for infused water. Thinly slice 1 medium lemon, remove the seeds, and keep the rind intact so the slices hold together in the pitcher. If your lemon is extra-large, use most of it but not all of it.

Fresh ginger - Use fresh ginger for the cleanest flavor. Peel and thinly slice so it infuses the water more easily, then gently muddle the slices in the pitcher with a wooden spoon or muddler to release more ginger flavor.

How to make ginger lemon and cucumber water

1. Wash the produce first. Thinly slice ½ of a cucumber, one medium lemon, and peel and thinly slice 3 inches of fresh ginger. To easily peel ginger, I like to use the edge of a metal spoon to scrape off the ginger skin.

2. Add the ginger slices to a large pitcher with 6 cups of water. The slices will sink to the bottom of the pitcher. Use a muddler or wooden spoon to gently mash the ginger slices to release more flavor.

3. Remove the seeds from the lemon slices before adding them to the pitcher. I skip the lemon end slices that don't have any pulp and are just the pith and peel. Add the sliced cucumber and lemon to the water.

4. Give the water a good stir, then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Chilling gives the cucumber and ginger more time to infuse into the water.

For a stronger ginger flavor

For a stronger ginger-infused water, grate 2 inches of peeled fresh ginger with a microplane instead of using sliced ginger.

Gather the grated ginger in the palm of your hand and squeeze it over the pitcher to release the ginger juice. The grated ginger should be very wet. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then discard the pulp.

Grated ginger releases more flavor than sliced ginger, so I use 2 inches of ginger for this method instead of the 3 inches used in the sliced ginger version per the recipe below.

Tips

• The cucumber water tastes best cold, so chill it before serving.
• Use thin cucumber, lemon, and ginger slices so they infuse the water more easily.
• Keep the ingredients below the water line so they stay fresh.
• I use a 2-quart pitcher, which has plenty of room for the water and the rest of the ingredients.
• If the water level gets low for several hours or overnight, the flavor will become more concentrated.
• If the water tastes too strong, dilute it with more cold water.

Troubleshooting

Bitter water: The lemon slices may have infused for too long, especially if there is a lot of white pith. Remove the lemon once the water tastes strong enough. If it tastes bitter or flat, make a new batch.

Ginger flavor is too strong: Dilute the water with more cold water, or use fewer ginger slices next time. The grated ginger method creates a bolder ginger flavor, so only use it if you want the ginger to stand out.

Bland flavor: Let the water chill longer. The flavor is light at first, but gets stronger after 1 to 4 hours. For more ginger flavor, use the grated ginger method. For a brighter flavor, add a few more lemon slices.

Cloudy water: Muddled ginger, lemon pulp, or cucumber seeds can make the water look cloudy. It's still fine to drink, but you can strain it before serving if you prefer a clearer drink.

Variations

Enjoy the cucumber lemon and ginger water as is, or change things up with one of these simple variations.

• Add fresh mint: Mint gives the water a cooler, spa-water flavor, like in this cucumber lemon mint water.
• Use lime: Swap the lemon with lime for a sharper citrus flavor.
• Try grapefruit: Slice ½ of a grapefruit for a slightly tart, fruity version.
• Use Meyer lemons: Meyer lemons add a softer, slightly sweeter lemon flavor.
• Add sparkling water: For a fizzy version, make a concentrated batch by cutting the water in the recipe in half. Let the cucumber, lemon, and ginger infuse.  Then serve each glass with half concentrated infused water and half sparkling water. Add the sparkling water right before serving so it stays bubbly.
• Add berries or orange slices: For a lightly fruity version, add a few sliced strawberries, raspberries, or orange slices.

Storage

Store fresh cucumber ginger lemon water in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Once you finish the first batch, you can refill the pitcher with more water and reuse the cucumber, lemon, and ginger once. The second batch will have a lighter flavor, so it tastes best if the ingredients are still fresh and flavorful.

Lemon slices shouldn't make the water bitter right away, but they can start to taste bitter if they sit for a long time. If the water tastes bitter, flat, or flavorless, discard the ingredients and make a fresh batch.

If you use the grated ginger method, you can still reuse the cucumber and lemon, but the second batch won't have the same strong ginger flavor.