Recipes by: Rj of Urban Table
Photo styling & Art Direction by: Traci of Urban Table
Photography & Art Direction by: Heather of Heather Gill Photography
Makes two drinks.
2 1/2 cups watermelon, seeds removed, cut into chunks
1/2 large English cucumber, peeled & cut into chunks
1 oz honey lime ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
3 oz vodka
cucumber slices for garnish (we used cocktail cucumbers but any cucumber will do)
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl or pitcher.
- In a blender, puree the watermelon and cucumber chunks.
- Pour mixture through the sieve into the bowl. Use the back of a big spoon or rubber spatula to squeeze all the juice into the bowl. Transfer to a lidded jar for storage.
- To serve, fill two glasses with ice and add 1 1/2 oz of vodka, 4 oz of watermelon cucumber juice, 1/2 to 1 oz simple syrup (to taste) to each glass, garnish with a cucumber slice.
Honey Lime Ginger Simple Syrup
2 cups cold water (use filtered)
2 cups granulated sugar
juice & zest from 6-8 limes
4 tablespoons honey (we used a local orange blossom)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- In a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear, approximately 3-5 minutes. Remember, the longer you boil it, the thicker the syrup will be when cooled. To test if the sugar is completely dissolved: using a spoon, scoop up a small amount of the syrup. You shouldn’t be able able to see any sugar crystals in the in the liquid. If you do, boil a bit longer.
- Once the water and sugar are done boiling and removed from the heat source add the honey, lime juice, lime zest and grated ginger. Let sit approximately 20-30 minutes to infuse the simple syrup. Using a wire mesh strainer, strain out the flavoring then pour into a tightly sealed, clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator. The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 6 months.
This drink could be made into a mocktail by leaving the vodka out and adding club soda or sprite if its for the kids. If you have a juicer you can skip the blender and just use the juice you get from the watermelon and cucumber. Such a refreshing summer drink as the temperatures rise. Please connect with us on Facebook or in the comments section.
Modern Day Forager