Mediterranean Watermelon Cocktail

• July 12, 2017
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The summer heat is in full swing this year, and everybody is looking for creative ways to chill their palates and find their oasis. Possibly with a drink in hand. With the emergence of handcrafted spirits, artisan sodas, and fancy kombuchas, freshly juiced watermelon often takes a back seat in summer cocktails in bars around the U.S. And we get it! Watermelon cocktails are deceitful – it always sounds like a good idea, but I bet that you, like me, have been fooled by that blended, rainbow-esque watermelon daiquiri. You know, the one that tasted more like you were drinking ice chips mixed with skittles, rather than an actual cocktail. Shaken cocktails aren’t off the hook either, they often disappoint with a flat texture and dull watermelon flavor, lost in a sea of overpowering booze and a bunch of herbs. But before you open that beer or google some crazy mojito recipes, hold off!

We have a watermelon treat for you! Enter the Melon Rush!

Inspired by a Mediterranean summer snack staple, Melon Rush is somewhat of an unusual, yet easy to make cocktail that combines fresh watermelon, red onion, feta cheese (brine), homemade fennel sugar, and, of course, some booze. If you are not really familiar with Mediterranean food…well, you might be a little freaked out by now, especially when we are talking about a cocktail with cheese in it. But I promise you, feta and watermelon is a fantastic combination for salads, side dishes, and now even cocktails.

In all fairness, it was a little tricky incorporating the feta cheese in a watermelon cocktail, but the flavors go so well together, I knew I could get a cocktail out of this. Plus, being from Bulgaria, I basically grew up on a summer diet of watermelon and feta salads that we threw together ourselves on the ranch. I wanted to bring back the memories of those great summers I spent helping my grandparents make cheese and grow watermelons. And at the end, finding the right proportions, using high-quality products and, to be honest, just a little bit of luck is what made the Melon Rush a grand slam for us this summer.

Easy to make, yet intricate enough, the Melon Rush could easily be a feature at your bar this summer, or just another bar quality cocktail that you can make at home.

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Mediterranean Watermelon Cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 oz Potato Vodka (we used Chopin)
• 3 oz Freshly Pressed Watermelon Juice
• 0.75 oz Agave Syrup
• 0.50 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 0.25 oz Feta Cheese Brine
• 1 Red Onion Sliver
• Edible Flower (for garnish)
• Toasted Fennel Sugar Rim (recipe below)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients, besides the edible flower, in a cocktail shaker

2. Add ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds

3. Strain over ice in a tall wide glass (or wine glass) and garnish with watermelon and a beautiful edible flower of your choosing

Recipe Notes

Toasted Fennel Sugar (for rimming)

1. Spread one shot glass of fennel seed into a baking tray
2. Toast it at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes
3. Take the toasted seeds out of the oven and let them cool down
4. Combine the toasted seed and 2 shot glasses of white sugar in a blender and blend until you get a powder-like consistency. 

Feta Cheese

Must use brined feta cheese. Fine strain the brine out of a high-quality feta cheese box before you use it in the cocktail.

Vodka

Potato vodka has a slightly thicker texture that will work better with the watermelon and the brine.

Watermelon

If you don't have a fruit juicer, cut the watermelon into 2 inches cubes and muddle it before adding the rest of the ingredients in the shaker. (Use 4-5 Cubes to get about 3 ounces)

What is the craziest cocktail combination you’ve tried so far? We would love to give it a try. Leave a comment in the section below to let us know! Or make this cocktail, take a photo and hashtag it
#barqualitycocktailsmadeathome on Instagram to let us know how we did!

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