HOORAY!!! My favorite season is finally here! Summer officially kicks off this Memorial Day weekend, which means grills will be sizzling, boats will be floating and friends and family will be gathering. My Russian and I plan to head to our lake house and spend a couple days relaxing on the water. To prepare, I thought it’d be fun to come up with a fun cocktail that captures the flavors of summer, watermelon coolers! This is actually a recipe I came up with last summer and it was a hit. So I’m bringing it back again this year just in time for the holiday weekend. These watermelon coolers are slightly sweet, refreshing and secretly strong making them the perfect cocktail to kick off the summer. Cheers!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 ripe watermelon
- 3 cups vodka of your choice (I prefer Ketel One)
- ¾ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (you’ll need about 8 large limes)
- ¾ cup mint simple syrup (this requires 3/8 cup cane sugar and 3 sprigs of fresh mint)
- 4 pack of La Croix Sparkling Water (I recommend key lime for this recipe, but any would be delicious!)
WHAT TO DO:
For the Simple Syrup
- Muddle mint sprig and 3/8 cup of sugar
- Pour 3/8 fresh water over mint sugar mixture until sugar fully dissolves (you may want to heat the water a bit to help in the melting process)
- Remove the watermelon rind and place the remaining fruit in a blender until puréed
- Strain the puréed pulp and retain the juice
For the Cocktail
- Combine the watermelon juice, vodka, simple syrup and fresh lime juice in a pitcher
- Place pitcher in the fridge to chill
- Pour cocktail over ice, garnish with a lime wedge and serve!
- Top it off with a splash of key lime La Croix for a little extra sparkle!
- Serve and enjoy!
This recipe yields approximately 8 cocktails
*House of Wend reminds you to please drink responsibly.
How do you plan on celebrating Memorial Day weekend? What are some of your favorite cocktails for summer? Share your comments below!
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