Well, its friday, its August, Wednesday was National Watermelon Day, and it’s hot. It seems right that today we talk Watermelon! How about a fresh LOCAL “libations” to chill down with? Sounds fun to me.
This first half of this post is “Seasonal recipes: 5 watermelon cocktails”-(Thanks to http://www.mnn.com/food/beverages/blogs/seasonal-recipes-5-watermelon-cocktails for collecting these!) Watermelon is one of summer’s biggest treats. It’s perfect all by itself, but it also is makes for a refreshing base for summer cocktails.
- Watermelon Gin Fizz – As a lover of gin drinks, this recipe really appeals to me. Lime and ginger ale are added to pureed watermelon and gin. This looks like a refreshing summer cocktail, and the gin can be omitted so the kids can enjoy it, too.
- Watermelon Vodka Slush – Part drink, part frozen treat, simple syrup, melon liqueur, lemon juice and generous amount of vodka are blended with frozen watermelon cubes and served in martini glasses. Definitely not for the kids.
- Watermelon Punch – A rum punch with watermelon puree, fresh lime, and fresh mint. Great for brunch.
- Watermelon Margarita – A frozen margarita made with fresh watermelon and traditional margarita mixers – a nice Friday night summer margarita that’s a refreshing change of pace.
- Watermelon Bellini – Breakfast, brunch or anytime, this fresh drink is made with watermelon, sugar, lemon juice and Prosecco or other sparkling wine. Cheers!”
(Editors note- I would think these would be scrumptious with raspberries, plums, or pretty much any juicy fruit. You may need to add a bit of water?)
The second half is: Watermelon sours in a cocktail keg are a refreshing, creative way to cool down this summer (from poshposh.com-an online magazine covering fashion and design)
“Turn your watermelon into a cocktail keg. Cut the lid from the top and scoop out the fruit. Drill a small hole near the bottom and then use a knife to widen the hole until it’s slightly smaller than a keg shank. Attach the shank, then fill the melon with a delicious and refreshing watermelon sour. To find a keg shank, look for the kit at kegworks.com ($30).
It takes about 10 minutes to make the watermelon sours. Puree 4 cups watermelon chunks; strain. Stir in 4 ounces Alize Red Passion or other fruit-flavored liqueur, 8 ounces gin and 2 cups sour mix; chill. Add sparkling rose before serving. Garnish with lime. Makes 10 to 12 drinks.”
Just a reminder the Botanical Beauties& Beasties take the weekend off – They need their environmental rest, their beauty rest and some plain old zzz’s…hopefully they have some fun too.
•REUSE your energy •REDUCE your waste •RECYLE your stuff •ReThink your actions