Cocktail Recipe: Spicy Watermelon Cocktail
Drink your watermelon in a salty, spritzy cocktail
Oh, hey, July. It's that sexy (and sweaty) month of making picnic sandwiches and randomly finding sand all over your house (how is it in the fridge?). It's also the time of year that at any given time, said fridge may be full of leftover watermelon you bought on impulse and carried all the way from the market only to realize you're not actually capable of eating an entire watermelon.
But you know what they say: When life gives you watermelons, make watermelon cocktails for you and all your friends.
This salty, spicy drink will freshen up your hot day and remind you why sweating through the summer is totally worth it. And the recipe is made to be batched, so there's no need to buy an entire bottle of sparkling rosé only for it to go to waste. Bring it, July.
Tip: If you just want to make a single cocktail, save the bottle of bubbly for later and substitute seltzer as the fizzy topper.
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
The Fahrenheit Fizz
Need a use for all that leftover watermelon in your fridge? This salty and spicy party drink will freshen up your hot day and remind you why sweating through the summer is totally worth it.
Ingredients
- 4 parts salt to 1 part cayenne pepper (to rim the glasses)
- 1 lime wedge, plus ¾ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 cup mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 3½ cups seedless watermelon, cubed
- 2½ ounces agave
- 2 cups vodka
- 2 ounces dry vermouth
- Ice cubes, both regular and large
- 2 cups sparkling rosé, chilled
Directions
- Pour the cayenne and salt mixture onto a plate. Rub half of each rim of several rocks glasses with the lime wedge. Dip each rim into the cayenne salt.
- In a blender, squeeze the lime wedge, then add the mint, watermelon and agave. Blend until smooth. Add the vodka, vermouth, the additional lime juice and 3 to 4 ice cubes. Blend until slightly frothy.
- Pour the cocktail into a large punch bowl. Add the sparkling rosé and several large ice cubes.
- Serve over ice in the prepared glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint.