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Epicurious

Watermelon Mojitos

The fading sun, an ocean breeze, a pitcher of mojitos waiting in the fridge. Open the door, fill the ice bucket, and let the party begin. Invented in Cuba and beloved by many, the rum-based mojito is an inherently festive drink. Friend and colleague cocktail specialist David Alan has created this refreshing watermelon mojito and thoughtfully devised a shortcut to reduce the workload for even the most laid-back party throwers. Preparing the base drink ahead makes it easy to crank out drinks quickly. Adding the club soda at the last minute ensures that all drinks retain the proper level of fizz. So before you set out for the beach, muddle the mint leaves, lime juice, sweetener, and rum in a large pitcher. Stow it in the refrigerator along with several bottles of soda water and a bowl of peeled, seeded, and chunk-up watermelon. Leave a dozen or so eight-ounce Collins glasses on the kitchen counter and when you arrive home with your friends—dazzled and thirsty from a day in the sun—chilly, refreshing mojitos are just moments away.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 8 drinks

Ingredients

Mojito Base

1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 medium limes)
Handful of fresh mint leaves
1 cup light rum (such as locally distilled Treaty Oak)
1/2 cup aged rum (such as Mount Gay)

Additions

Per drink: 3 or 4 chunks peeled, seeded ripe watermelon
Ice cubes
Club soda
Watermelon slices and sprigs of mint, for garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    TO MAKE THE BASE: Add the agave nectar, lime juice, and mint leaves to a large glass pitcher and lightly bruise the leaves with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add both rums.

    Step 2

    FOR EACH DRINK: Add the watermelon to a tall 8-ounce glass and lightly mash with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add a generous amount of ice, and fill the glass two-thirds full with mojito base. Top off with club soda and garnish with a slice of watermelon and sprig of mint.

Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved. A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan Rebecca Rather has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café’s sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café.  Rebecca is the author of THE PASTRY QUEEN, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances. Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper’s restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.
TagsCocktailAlcoholBeveragesMojitoRumCubanCaribbeanWatermelonMelonFruitLimeCitrusEasySummerCookbooks
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