Watermelon Rose Mojito

Summer's Last Stand: Part I

The end of summer always makes me incredibly sad...much because Mojitos are not nearly so delicious in the chill of fall and winter.  We've been doing Mojito Mondays at work this summer, and I came up with three incredibly delicious specialties to offer in addition to the typical silver, gold, and dark counterparts.  As my sister-in-law just posted in her own journal earlier today (along with a Watermelon Mojito recipe...great minds think alike, hm?), flavored Mojitos are too often done terribly in restaurants.  So...here are my variations:

 From left to right: Watermelon Rose, Strawberry Hibiscus, and the Pinajito

I'll post the other two recipes over the next weekish...

Watermelon Rose Mojito

Glassware: 10oz Collins

Method: Muddle, and Box to finish

Garnish: Mint sprig and Lime wedge

Muddle:

3 Watermelon cubes

3 Lime wedges
6 Mint leaves

.75 oz Simple syrup

3 drops Rosewater

Add:

1.5 oz Silver Rum

 
Fill with ice and top with soda water.  Box once to mix it all together and make it pretty.  Garnish.

Summer Mocktail: Watermelon Cooler

One of my major weaknesses in mixing is N/A mocktails.  When it comes to cocktails I like to think "What liquor will work well with these flavors?" or "what liquors will work well together?"  or...well...something along those lines.  I really have a hard time finding the right balance with mocktails.  In working on my summer cocktail list, though, I really wanted to have some nice non-alcoholic choices with summer flavors.  According to my staff on Wednesday night, this one is a clear winner:

Watermelon Cooler
Method:  Shake/Box
Glass:  16oz Pint
Garnish:  Mint sprig

Shake with ice:
2 cubes watermelon
2 slices cucumber
6 mint leaves
2 lime wedges, squeeze and discard
.25 oz Simple syrup

Fill glass with ice and add about 2 oz of Sprite (or other lemon-lime soda/pop)***.  Top with a splash of club soda and box.  Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

***Don't shake the carbonated sodas with the listed ingredients.  You don't want to flatten the carbonation.

Summer Soiree aka I heart Hendricks

Okay, okay...so I know I just rolled out a drink menu I thought was going to stick around until like August or something...I've already had a wave of ideas that seem to be challenging that likelihood, and I couldn't wait to share this one with you.  Ever since our owner brought up the thought that he'd like to move more into "upscale southern" than be pigeon-holed into just "upscale BBQ" the right side of my brain has been in overdrive.  This week I plan on playing with southern-manufactured sodas in cocktails (thank you for the brilliant idea, Imbibe!).  In addition to that, I've been racking my own brain for the flavors that bring me back to my south(west)ern summers as a girl.  Two that really stand out for me are strawberry and watermelon.  We had our own strawberry patch on our property in Oklahoma, and watermelon is one of my favorite things EVER.  Blackberries are another (there was a bush/tree on the side of the road on my way to my school bus stop and we practically picked that thing bare throughout late spring and summer).  So are grapes.  I'll work on those another time.  For now, let's focus on strawberries and watermelon.

This is definitely a new personal favorite, and the fresh fruit and herb really bring out amazing qualities in an already amazing gin. I just renamed it (5/4/11), as I almost forgot that St. Germain calls their summer gift set "Summer Soiree." One of the first things that crossed my mind while I was creating this was the character Dill from To Kill A Mockingbird, so I thought...why not use the reference in the name?

Summer Soiree Mockingbird Summer 
Glass:  Small cocktail
Method:  Muddle, shake and strain
Garnish:  Large watermelon cube

Muddle
1 strawberry, cored and quartered
1 large watermelon cube
2 sprigs fresh dill
.25 oz Simple syrup
Juice of one lime wedge

Add:
2 oz Hendricks gin

Shake with ice and strain into a small cocktail glass.  Garnish with a large watermelon cube.  Love.