when it comes down to the end of summer...
I’m all about refreshing cocktails. The lighter and fruitier it is, the better. And melon is one of my favorite fruits in late summer for it’s juicy and refreshing quality. It’s almost like drinking water, but you get some sweet flavor and nutrients to boot. The same goes for these cocktails – you can hardly taste the alcohol with the melon flavor (is that a bad thing?), and it seriously tastes like summer in a glass. Serve this up on a special summer evening at home or at a weekend barbecue.
⟶ the recipe
melon ball spritz
ingredients
1 cup cubed cantaloupe
3 ounces gin
2 ounces Lillet
1 ounce lime juice
Ice
Splash of sparkling water
Balled melon and basil leaves for garnish
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
5 minutes
Total time
15 minutes
Makes 2 cocktails
instructions
Place the cubed cantaloupe in a blender, and pulse until smooth. You can add a splash of water if the chunks aren’t breaking up easily in the blender.
Place the melon puree in a fine strainer over a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Allow the liquid from the melon to strain through. You should be left with about 3 ounces of juice.
Place 3 ounces of melon juice in a cocktail shaker, along with the gin, lillet, lime juice, and a scoop of ice. Shake until cold and mixed, about 30 seconds.
Strain cocktail into two champagne glasses. Top with a splash of sparkling water, and garnish with cantaloupe balls and fresh basil leaves.
⟶ recipe notes
- The melon may separate a bit from the other liquid once it’s poured into the glass, so make sure you server with a cocktail pick or stirrer
⟶ modifications
- You can try this drink with other types of melon. Honeydew or watermelon would both be good
⟶ make it a mocktail
- All you need to make this a mocktail is to maybe increase the amount of lime juice and add more sparkling water to fill the glass. It’s so yummy and refreshing!
