Experimental: Melon-dramatic

This post is dedicated to the humble watermelon, the fruit that’s a part of some of my favorite memories. Growing up, my parents used to grow watermelons on a community farm in Memphis and after months of constant watering and care, we would crack into the few melons that survived, not knowing what we would find inside. I haven’t been getting watermelons as often as I like, but my goal for this summer is to keep exploring all of the delicious things that can be made with watermelon. This recipe is adapted from Life, Love, and Sugar and the garnish inspiration came from Himitsu. Shoutout to David for the best cocktail name of 2018.

Melon-dramatic Recipe (1 serving)

• 1.5 oz. elderflower liqueur
• 1 oz. rum
• 4 oz. fresh watermelon juice (blend watermelon chunks and strain with a fine mesh strainer)
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 3 slices of cucumber
• 4 drops of watermelon tincture (cover ~6 chunks of watermelon with Everclear, leave overnight, and strain into dropper bottles)
• (Must have) Tiny clothespins for the garnish

Equipment

• Stainless steel container
• Old Fashioned glass, room temperature
• Jigger
• Muddler
• Bar spoon
• Hawthorne strainer
• Fine mesh strainer
• Old fashioned glass, stored in the freezer
• Round ice mold, stored in the freezer (can also use 2×2 inch square ice)

Directions

1. Prep the watermelon juice by blending ~2 cups of watermelon cubes and strain using a fine mesh strainer (bonus tip: watermelon juice by itself is amazing)
2. Add the lime juice, elderflower liqueur, and cucumber slices to the container
3. Use the muddler to smash everything together
4. Add the rum and the watermelon tincture (or any other bitter)
5. Add enough ice to the container so that the ice rises above the liquid
6. Use a bar spoon to stir the mixture until the outside of the shaker becomes frosty (30 seconds to a minute)
7. Remove the old fashioned glass from the freezer and add the large ice
8. Place a Hawthorne strainer on top of the shaker and strain the drink into the glass
9. To garnish, cut a strip of lime peel, bend into a circle and secure on the edge of the glass with the tiny clothespin

Cheers!