whet your whistle

The Fourth of July holiday has come and gone–we had a swell time and I hope you did, too. Summer is now officially in full swing and has arrived with a bang, not a whimper. It has been steamin’ hot around these parts (around those parts too, I bet), so nothing is more welcome than an icy, thirst-quenching cocktail. The inspiration for this drink comes from a mocktail that my daughter enjoyed on our recent cruise; clean, sweet melon juice mixed with tangy lime, lots of mint, and–because I’m making the adult version–plenty of rum. Mix up a batch, kick off your flip flops, and let’s get this summer off to a refreshing start….

Melon Mint Mojitos

You don’t need a fancy juicer to juice the melon for this drink–I actually have one, but was too lazy to drag it out for this. Melon chunks get simply pureed in a food processor, then strained through a sieve to yield the juice. That sweet nectar is blended with a simple syrup which has been infused with lots of fresh mint (I used mint from my garden), and freshly squeezed lime juice to perfectly balance the sweet-sour of this concoction.



The honeydew melons at my market were only barely ripe, according to my trusty produce purveyor, so I decided to add sweet cantaloupe to the mix. Because of the heightened awareness of bacteria that can be present on melons, be sure to give your melons a good rinse before cutting into them. Slice your melon open lengthwise, but then be sure to wash your knife immediately in order to avoid contaminating the flesh.

Use a large spoon to scoop the seeds from the center of each melon half. Quarter the melons.

Reserve one quarter of the melon to make melon balls–the perfect garnish to this drink.

Slice the flesh from the outer skin and cut the melon into chunks. Place the chunks of melon in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse the food processor to completely puree the melon.

In batches, place the melon pulp in a sieve set over a large mixing bowl. Use a silicone spoon or spatula to help push through the juice.

Meanwhile, combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan to make a simple syrup. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in fresh mint leaves. Allow to steep for 10 minutes to infuse, then strain the syrup.

Juice limes–lots and lots of limes–into a bowl or measuring cup.

In a large bowl, combine the melon juices, mint infused syrup, and lime juice. Add some more freshly chopped mint leaves into the mix. Taste and adjust for balance of flavor; refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

To serve, rub the rims of each glass with fresh lime juice and dip into a plate filled with superfine sugar to coat the edge.

Fill each glass with a few melon balls and fresh ice. Add golden rum–my fave is Mount Gay–to the melon, lime, mint mixture and pour into each glass. A lime slice and garnish of fresh mint is the final flourish to this brightly flavored cocktail–a new summertime favorite!

Serves 8:

2 melons, honeydew, cantaloupe, or a combo
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for mix & garnish
8 limes, juiced, plus more for garnish
1 cup golden rum, preferably Mount Gay
ice cubes

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