Photo by Clare Lewington
Another great refreshing cocktail for the summer. You can easily double-up the quantities and serve this in a large jug filled with ice.
Ingredients:
- 40 ml (1-1/4 fl oz) dark rum
- 50 ml (2 fl oz) Watermelon Shrub (see below)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- crushed ice, to serve
- watermelon wedges and a mint sprig, to garnish
Instructions:
- Muddle the ingredients, except for the crushed ice and watermelon wedges, in a cocktail shaker then build in a highball glass over crushed ice. You don’t need to strain this as you want to incorporate all the muddled mint leaves and flavours.
- Garnish with a few wedges of watermelon and a sprig of mint.
Watermelon Shrub
Watermelons are ideal for making a quick shrub because of their high water content. This is a good go-to shrub when you’re in a hurry, as it doesn’t need much time to macerate.
Makes 600 ml (20-1/2 fl oz)
Ingredients:
- 400 g (14 oz) watermelon
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/ 1/2 cup) white wine vinegar
- 100 ml (3-1/2 fl oz) water
- 25 g (1 oz) granulated sugar
- 15 ml (1/2 fl oz) lemon juice
- 3 allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions:
- Remove the skin and seeds from the watermelon and cut the flesh into small pieces. Place the watermelon in a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
- Using a fork, mash up the watermelon to make sure it blends with all the other ingredients. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and set aside for about 1 hour.
- After an hour, give it a stir to make sure the sugar and salt have dissolved. Strain through a piece of muslin (cheesecloth) into a bowl, then transfer to a sterilised glass jar or bottle, seal with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Note: Add a pinch of coarsely ground black pepper for a little hint of spice.
More from Pickle Juice:
Recipes excerpted with permission fromPickle Juice by Florence Cherruault, published by Hardie Grant Books November 2018, RRP $19.99 hardcover
