Summer Focus
It’s about time we bring some classic Summer flavors into the mix with a #sponsored cocktail brought to you by @TotalWine. Despite not being the world’s biggest watermelon fan (it’s a texture thing), I love the flavor. Today’s drink isn’t too hard to make, but it is absolutely delicious. It takes watermelon syrup (more on that below) and cucumber— which, besides being incredibly refreshing, pairs amazingly with watermelon (they’re actually closely related!). These are joined with some lime, a little dry vermouth, and the star ingredient: a delicious mezcal from @mimamamedijomezcal. I picked this awesome bottle up at @TotalWine, which is an awesome place to get spirits, beer, and of course, wine. You probably already know this if you’re lucky enough to have a store nearby!
The syrup, simple version: blend fresh watermelon and strain through cheesecloth or superbag. Weigh the remaining juice and add ~90% sugar by weight (may need to adjust slightly based on its sweetness), stir, bottle, and refrigerate. If you want a more challenging version (totally worth it), you can get a much more concentrated/flavorful syrup through cryoconcentration: take the juice and freeze it in a resealable bag. Agitate juice occasionally so it freezes into granita consistency. Place this over a strainer and the concentrated juice will melt first; stop when the melted juice is ~1/3 of the original weight, then add sugar and finish as above.
Oh and a fun tidbit: watermelon naturally pairs with seaweed, so this one would go great with a nori snack or better yet, alongside some sushi!
Recipe
1.75oz Mezcal (@mimamamedijomezcal)
0.5oz Dry Vermouth
0.75oz Watermelon Syrup
0.75oz Lime Juice
~2 inch chunk of cucumber, chopped
Muddle cucumber in syrup and then add remaining ingredients. Shake with ice until chilled and fine strain into glass with fresh ice. Garnish with fresh watermelon + cucumber + seaweed. Cheers!!
