3 boozey things to do with watermelon this Labor Day
Farmer's markets are bursting with fresh watermelon, and if you're lucky, even your garden might be filled with these lumpies. Here are three ideas to mix your favorite booze with a watermelon this Labor Day weekend!
WATERMELON, MINT and GIN FIZZ-
This is a simple idea, with a huge return on investment. A few sprigs of mint from your garden give this combo an extra boost.
4 c. watermelon chunks
Sprigs of mint.
8 oz. Gin
8 T. lime juice
A can of ginger ale
Puree the watermelon with a couple sprigs of mint. Strain. Divide the juice among 4 ice-filled glasses.
Add 2 ounces of Gin, 2 Tablespoons of lime juice. Stir. Then top with ginger ale. Garnish with mint sprigs or lime wedges, even some frozen watermelon chunks!
VODKA INFUSED WATERMELON-
Doing this makes me feel like I'm back in college. It makes me feel a little bad-ass, and I kinda love that. This is such a good idea; the pairing of watermelon and vodka is pretty much perfect.
The technique is simple- wrap a kitchen towel around the base of your watermelon to keep it from rolling away. Cut a small roundish hole in the top of the fruit, and scoop out just a few tablespoons of pulp to give the vodka a starting chance to infuse. Now you have two options- you may pour vodka through the hole you made every few minutes, allowing the fruit time to absorb. Your second option, which is truly bad ass, is quickly tip the entire bottle through this hole and push the bottle into the fruit a bit so the bottle can remain inserted unassisted, allowing the vodka to slowly meld into the watermelon throughout the day. I've always done this the night before I intended to serve it. I've placed it in the fridge overnight, and the bottle is always empty by morning.
Be aware as you slice it up, that there will be some extra liquid. You're good to go now to either slice, or chunk the watermelon and enjoy it that way. I've also pureed a bunch with some ice and enjoyed it as a slushy. Both techniques and serving ideas have made me happy. Good luck, it's fun!
WATERMELON INFUSED TEQUILA-
This is the start of a wondrous opportunity to enjoy watermelon in a sipper. The uses are endless- substitute it in any recipe calling for tequila, and of course it makes for an utterly delicious shot with lime and salt.
There's not much of a recipe to make this happen. Chop up about 2 cups of watermelon. Put it in a large jar with a tight fitting lid. Fill the jar with tequila. Store in your fridge for at least 4 days, shaking the bottle everyday. You can strain it all into a different clean jar. This has never lasted more than a couple weeks for me, but that's about how long I would keep it. It's very addictive and utterly delicious.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!