Four I'm Under My Host

It was warm last weekend (by Berkeley standards) and will be again this weekend, so the “Creole Watermelon” from Scott Beattie’s Artisanal Cocktails seems timely. As you can see from the picture to the left, there are some interesting ingredients in this one.

I adore spicy cocktails. Not on an everyday basis, but I do like them for a change. Recently I was at the East Coast Grill in Cambridge Mass (a great restaurant and a great series of grilling cookbooks from chef Chris Schlesinger) and had their Scotch Bonnet-infused Martini from Hell. And don’t forget the magnificent Carter Beats the Devil from the inspiring cocktail menu at the excellent Flora. But I digress. Which isn’t against the rules on this blog as there are no rules on this blog. But still.

The key to this drink is to get good watermelon. I’d look for very small heirloom watermelons that you should be able to find this time of year. It needs to be sweet.  The advance prep for this cocktail (a feature of many of the cocktails in the book) is to make frozen watermelon wedges and watermelon juice. For the wedges simply slice the watermelon (about 1/3 to 1/2 inch) and then cut into wedges. You may need to cut them down even further depending on the size of your watermelon. You want them to be small enough for several them to fit into a martini glass along with the cocktail. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and stick them in the freezer. An hour or so of freezing time is needed, so plan ahead.

For the watermelon juice simply remove the rind and cut the watermelon into small chunks. If there are lots of seeds you should remove them as they will impart a bitter flavor to the juice. Then briefly puree the watermelon in a food processor or blender, put the result in a strainer over a bowl or pitcher and let the juice run out for 30 minutes or so. Voila, watermelon juice. As Scott says this is a very fragile juice and it won’t keep for much more than a day (if that) even if refrigerated. So invite your friends, which I’m sure you’re doing anyways. Right?

Okay, now that you have all that together, here’s the recipe, which is a slight adaptation from Scott’s:

• 3 parts regular vodka
• 3 parts Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka. This is expensive and worth it. Don’t skimp.  There is nothing better, by the way, than a gin & tonic made with this gin (or 50/50 with unflavored vodka).
• 2 parts lime juice
• 6 parts watermelon juice
• 1 part agave nectar (or use simple syrup)
• Cilantro leaves (5-10 per drink)
• Kaffir lime leaves (3-5 per drink, you can get them at Berkeley Bowl if you live in the area)
• A spice mixture consisting of 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt

Muddle the cilantro and kaffir lime leaves in the shaker. Add the liquid ingredients and about 1/2 teaspoon of the spice mixture per cocktail (start with less, you can add more if you want). Shake aggressively and strain into a martini glass. Add 5 or so frozen watermelon wedges, 5 or so cilantro leaves and a couple of kaffir lime leaves for garnish.  Then sprinkle on a bit of the spice powder for good measure.

I love this on a warm day. Not just because it is refreshing, but because the frozen watermelon chunks help keep the drink cold without diluting it in the same way ice cubes would (although this drink would be great on the rocks as well). And the watermelon ice cubes taste good once you’ve finished the drink.

I also think the drink looks absolutely fantastic.

You should really buy Artisanal Cocktails soon. Or now.

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