It’s almost summer. That means more sunshine and laying around. Well, lucky for me, I practice the latter on a regular basis without regard to the weather. But what about laying around in the sun with a delicious Watermelon Cocktail? I’ve seen a ton of these “made in the watermelon’ type cocktails, so I decided to make one for our family party this past weekend. I pretty much just made it up…as I usually do with everything else. It turned out great! The texture is delicious, and because the watermelon is so flavorful and juicy on it’s own, there’s not really much you have to do to it.

Watermelon Vodka Slushie:

• 1 large watermelon – keep in the fridge beforehand if possible
• 1 large handful fresh mint
• 3/4 cup plain or jalapeño vodka – adjust depending on size of watermelon/tolerance 😉
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• a little less than a quarter cup fresh mint simple syrup

Equipment: hand blender and a sharp chef’s knife

1. To make the simple syrup, place one cup of sugar and one cup of water over low heat. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, add in 1 fresh stalk of mint and steep until it starts turning brown. Remove. Let the sugar syrup develop, stirring occasionally, until thickened – test by lifting the spoon and see the droplets to see if they stretch when they fall off the spoon.

2. Cut 2×2 inch square at the top of the melon. Take it out. This should be big enough for the hand blender to fit right in. Blend up the watermelon meat as much as you can, being careful to not pierce the skin on any of the sides. Once you’ve blended the watermelon, add in the fresh mint and blend until finely chopped up and blended into the fruit.

3. Add in the vodka, lemon juice, and sugar syrup. Blend until completely incorporated. Taste. Should have a slushie texture and should be sweet, refreshing, and delicious! Serve with a tropical umbrella.