Last Updated on July 25, 2022 by Leah Hall
The hot days of summer are perfect for growing watermelons, and with our summer finally getting enough sustained heat to ripen the local watermelons it was time to bust out the watermelon cocktails. I experimented with a couple of different combinations before I settled in on one I liked, which combined watermelon, strawberries, basil and mint. Classic summer flavors combine to make a cool, sweet and refreshing that is perfect for enjoying on a hot summer evening.
Watermelon Strawberry Smash
Watermelon and Gin based cocktail perfect for the summer season!
Ingredients
For the Cocktail
- 2 oz Broker's Gin
- 2.5 oz watermelon Puree
- 1.5 oz black pepper strawberry syrup
- 3 basil leaves
- 3 mint leaves
- 1 dash bitters
- .5 oz club soda
For the Black Pepper Strawberry Syrup
- 4 cups strawberry
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
For the Watermelon Puree
- 2.5 cups of watermelon
- dash of salt
- 1/8 tsp lime juice
Instructions
For the Watermelon Puree
Puree watermelon, salt and lime juice in a blender and strain the puree to remove any remaining fibers or seed remains.
The puree should have a bit of a thick creamy texture to it.
For the Cocktail
Place the basil leaves, mint leaves and bitters into a shaker with the watermelon puree.
Muddle the leaves and the puree and fill the shaker halfway with ice.
Add the strawberry and gin and shake.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with club soda for a bit of fizz.
Cheers!
Black Pepper Strawberry Syrup
Place strawberries, sugar, and water.
Add fresh cracked black pepper.
Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until the strawberries are soft.
Blend until totally liquified.
Strain the solids thru a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and solids.
Store in the refrigerator.