Court Dude's Cool Springtime Ginger Refresher

Ingredients

	880 gm (4 cups)  caster sugar 100 gm ginger, finely grated 3 mint sprigs, plus extra to serve 2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeds removed, plus extra, thinly sliced juice of 2 limes, plus extra, sliced chilled ginger beer Pimms, optional
	Preparation
	1    Combine sugar and 750ml water in a saucepan, stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add ginger and mint, bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until infused and a light syrup forms (8-10 minutes), remove from heat. 2     Meanwhile, process cucumber in a food processor until finely chopped, add to syrup and refrigerate until cool. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on solids to extract liquid (discard solids), add lime juice, then refrigerate until required. Makes about 1 litre. 3     To serve, pour chilled syrup into glasses, top up with ginger beer to taste, and garnish with cucumber ribbons, lime slices and mint sprigs.