Recipe of the Week: Vodka Watermelon Agua Fresca

At Mixed Greens, food bloggers Poppy Barach and Sally Shintaffer believe in making the most of local ingredients. Whether it’s a tasty seasonal salad or an even tastier summer cocktail, every recipe the duo creates uses the best fare the Northwest has to offer.

When it comes to cocktails, that means making fresh summer fruit as boozy as possible. “We can’t let summer go by without using this year’s watermelon in a seasonal cocktail,” says Shintaffer. While the drink could be refined by further blending the melon or straining the juice, Barach and Shintaffer prefer this simple version instead. “This is a down-and-dirty version that can be easily concocted using a shaker and hand blender,” they say. Works for us– cheers!

For more delicious, Northwest-friendly recipes be sure to check out the Mixed Greens digital cookbooks.

Vodka Watermelon Agua Fresca

Ingredients

• 1 cup seeded watermelon cut into chunks (remove every seed or they’ll make the drink bitter)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 4 oz vodka
• Splash of tonic water

Instructions

1. Blend the watermelon with vodka using a blender or immersion blender.
2. Fill shaker with lots of ice and pour in blended watermelon vodka mixture.
3. Add lemon and lime juice and shake.
4. Pour into ice-filled glasses, top off with a splash of tonic and stir gently.
5. Garnish with a piece of watermelon, a slice of lime or both.
6. Serve and enjoy (and maybe repeat steps 1-6).