Basil Watermelon Caipirinha

When I wasn’t in the classroom during my college years, I was solving bigger problems; like how to smuggle alcohol into the dorms. It was in this place of higher learning that I discovered that watermelon soaks up vodka like a dry sponge. Back then, drinking was much more a means to an end, so proof was often important that palate, and yet somehow, vodka soaked watermelon managed to bring on the tipsy without sacrificing taste.

Fast forward a dozen years, and booze soaked watermelon is still one of my favorite endings to a summer picnic. It pacifies my sweet-tooth without weighing me down with a ton of butter and sugar. This Basil Watermelon Caipirina also has the added benefit of looking like a salad, for those of us that live in places with draconian open container laws.

While it isn’t a traditional Brazilian Caipirnha, all the flavours are there, and I love how the vegetal notes in the Cachaça compliment the green basil and cucumber-like flavor of the watermelon. The two lime juices add tartness, and a floral note that keeps the whole thing from tasting too sweet.

I brought this Basil Watermelon “Caipirinha” to a picnic we had on the Hudson for Independence Day along with some sausage made from acorn fed black pigs, Perlagrigia cheese with black truffles, garlic marinated roasted peppers, and a baguette. The soaking liquid made for a pre-picnic cocktail and the watermelon became dessert.

Here are a few pics of the amazing Macy’s fireworks show that lit up the entire Hudson.

Fireboat putting on a show at sunset

I handheld all these shots after consuming a bunch of the watermelon, and with exposures in the 2 second range, it’s a miracle that these didn’t turn out more blurry.

Basil Watermelon Caipirinha

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Ingredients 

• ¼ cup evaporated cane sugar Demerara (or light brown )
• handful basil leaves finely chopped
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 sweet lime juiced (optional)
• 1 watermelon small seedless peeled and cubed (from a 3-4 pound melon)

Instructions

• Muddle together the Cachaça, sugar, basil and lime juices. Pour the mixture over the watermelon and let it soak overnight in the refrigerator, stirring a few times to ensure the watermelon is evenly soaked.
• Serve in a bowl with some of the soaking liquid, or put it in a blender and puree for a cocktail.

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Course Drinks

Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Fat, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian

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