Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tasty Tuesdays: Watermelon Mojitos


I've always wanted to be the girl that walked up to the bar and said "I'll take a vodka martini up and dirty." You know the person who has "their drink." The thing is all of the traditional bar drinks that sound so cool when you order them taste so bad to me. I'm more of a wedding cake martini or cosmopolitan, extra cranberry, kind of girl.

A few summers ago my family went to Miami on vacation and my dad ordered a mojito. He let me try a sip and before I had finished one taste, I knew I had found it - My Drink! I love everything about the mojito. It's refreshing, smooth, sweet but not too sweet, and minty. I love how the tartness of the lime and the cool flavor of the mint blend together to create the perfect combination of summery flavors. And the thing is you can enjoy it during the day and in the evening. I don't know but the thought of drinking an old fashioned at noon in July at a courtyard brunch makes me hot.

Ordering mojitos should come with a warning: "Bartender will roll eyes." I have found that while I love drinking them, I hate ordering mojitos. There's something about all that muddling that makes any bartender ornery. One friend in the industry said that when they tell you "we're out of fresh mint" it really means "order a real drink." You have to look past this the only negative to such a delicious little treat.

Perhaps the best feature of mojitos is how many variations of them you can find. Cherry, key lime, blueberry, coconut. Its starting to sound like a snoball stand isn't it? My favorite is the watermelon mojito. I made this recipe last summer for our Fourth of July parade and they were a big hit. Although I'd prefer fresh lime juice to concentrate, for a crowd the concentrate is easier (and it does put the slushy in slushy watermelon mojito). Cheers...


Yield
8 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)
Ingredients
5 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1 cup sparkling water, chilled
3/4 cup white rum
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, undiluted
Mint sprigs (optional)
Lime slices (optional)
Preparation
Arrange watermelon in a single layer on a baking sheet; freeze 2 hours or until completely frozen.
Combine frozen watermelon, sparkling water, rum, mint, and limeade in a blender; process until smooth. Garnish with mint sprigs and lime slices, if desired. Serve immediately.

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