Our star ingredient that transforms cocktails in the Carolinas is melon.
Melon is one of the best summer fruits. Light, refreshing and sweet, it makes sense to find ways to incorporate it into your cocktails!
Whether you’re squeezing it, mashing it, or turning melon cubes into ice cubes, the possibilities are endless!
Here are Beverage Directors Zac Rogerson, Morgan Hurley and Ethan Schneider’s three cocktails incorporating melons in three different ways, using three different melons: cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew.
Baja Tanga
Mex Coastal Canteen 1 – Charleston, SC
Recipe courtesy of Mex 1 Beverage Director Morgan Hurley
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounce 100% Agave Blanco tequila
- 2 oz watermelon puree*
- 1 ounce of rosé wine
- 3/4 lime juice
- 1/2 ounce agave nectar
Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a new glass with fresh ice and a semi-salted rim and garnish with a watermelon twist.
*Watermelon puree
Cut a watermelon in half and remove the watermelon pieces. Put in a blender and blend quickly. Strain the pulp through a fine sieve and keep the puree.
Pro tip: Turn the watermelon shell into a keg or punch bowl for serving!
Yuzu so crazy
Herd Dispositions, Charleston, South Carolina
Recipe courtesy of Herd Provisions Beverage Director Ethan Schneider
Ingredients:
- 1 oz four pillar yuzu gin
- 1/4 ounce yuzu juice
- 1/4 ounce lemon juice
- Melon Ice Cube*
Preparation: Shake the above ingredients over ice until cold and strain twice. Garnish with 4 oz of Mountain Valley sparkling wine or Topo Chico. Garnish with honey ice cream and lemon zest. Serve in a Collins glass.
*Honeydew ice cream
(Makes 6 liters of ice cream)
Cut the bark of 3 honeydews, scrape the seeds and cut them into pieces. Puree the honeydew.
Mix the honeydew and pass it through a fine sieve, making sure to extract all the juice. Add 1 liter of simple syrup (1:1 water to white sugar) and 1 liter of water. Place in 2x2x5 ice cream molds and freeze.
One in a melon
Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing – Raleigh, North Carolina
Recipe courtesy of Wye Hill Hospitality Beverage Manager Zac Rogerson
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz fresh cantaloupe juice
- 1 1/2 ounce Tequila Blanco
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz coconut water
- 1/2 oz jalapeño syrup*
- 1/2 oz cinnamon-ginger syrup**
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Preparation: Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake vigorously and strain into a glass with ice.
*Jalapeno syrup recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 jalapenos
- 1 pint of sugar
- 1 pint of water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preparation: Cut the jalapeños into thin slices. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the other ingredients and let the jalapeños infuse over the heat for 3 minutes. Let the jalapeños steep off the heat for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until everything is fully incorporated. Filter the solids.
**Cinnamon Ginger Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 liter of water
- 1 liter of sugar
- 1 pint root ginger (peeled and grated)
- 2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preparation: Remove the skin from the ginger root then grate it, in a blender or with a grater. Put the sugar, water and cinnamon in a saucepan. Put the pan on the fire and start stirring. Try to break the cinnamon (it will clump together) and also make sure the sugar doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Once you’ve released the sugar, add the grated ginger root. Stir the mixture constantly until the mixture begins to simmer. Simmer for about 2 minutes then remove from the heat. Place the mixture in a container, then close it. Let the mixture steep for 30 minutes. Filter the solids.
