Tag Archives: watermelon

Drinks at the lake

Posted on September 2, 2010 by msshoescocktails | 1 comment

Here’s the final installment of Ms. S&C’s Seneca Lake recap. Over the course of three fun-filled days, here’s what you could find friends imbibing by the water, on a sailboat, by the grill, on the porch, on a swing, playing games, by the bonfire (did I miss anything?): Grapefruit Crush, Bloody Mary, Mai Tai (for the luau-themed dinner), Gin & Tonic, Dark ‘n’ Stormy, Pimm’s Cup (and variations of), Beer, Wine, Champagne.

One specialty cocktail (that was planned in advance): Five Island Punch.

The Five Island Punch was made with Banks Rum, a new rum on the market that is a blend of aged rums from five island distilleries. Ms. S&C doesn’t know a whole heck of a lot about rum (not like this guy), but she certainly loved it in this cocktail. And naturally, fresh watermelon this time of the year is a perfect mixer for cocktails.

The Banks Five Island Punch

Ingredients:

2 oz Banks rum
1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
4 oz watermelon puree

Directions:

Shake all ingredients together, serve over ice, and garnish with mint sprig and lime wheel.

————————————————

Another specialty cocktail (that was totally random and totally awesome): Iced Double Espresso.

Coffee is probably the one beverage Ms. S&C can’t live without (actually, coffee may have to fight it out with Champagne). So, when another friend came with a surprise bottle of Van Gogh Double Espresso vodka, she couldn’t have been happier to make iced coffee drinks. Then, the drinks were paired with these amazing orange glazed cookies. The lake is like a culinary wonderland.

Iced Double Espresso

Directions:

Pretty simple stuff: fill glass with ice, pour a few ounces of coffee-flavored vodka, add a dash of cream, milk or half-and-half, and stir.

Ms. S&C’s has a three-part series covering her favorite weekend of the year. Part one: Sights of the lake. Part two: Overheard at the lake. Part three: Drinks at the lake.

posted by Ms. S&C

1 Comment

Posted in cocktails, spring/summer cocktails, vodka, white rum

Tagged coffee, drinking during the day, lake trip, watermelon

Lakebound

Posted on August 19, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 1 comment

One of Ms. S&C’s favorite escapes of the year is just days away. Every August, (for the past six years or so), Ms. S&C joins some of her best friends in the world for an extended weekend getaway at Seneca Lake, Ny. Activities include: canoeing, horseshoes, lots of cooking, daytime drinking, nighttime drinking, trashy magazines, laughing, party games (Celebrity and Apples to Apples are faves), bonfires, plenty of shenanigans. Hell, it is just a lot of fun sitting on the dock or on the porch (both overlook the water).

Seneca-Lake-Bench.002

As you may expect, there is always a well-stocked bar at the lake. Last year, popular cocktails included Pimm’s Cup and S&C’s Watermelon Lemonade. Surprisingly, Ms. S&C has yet to drink a watermelon cocktail this season (though she did have a great watermelon agua fresca at Oyamel recently). So, she is going to bring back the-fruit-that-was-destined-for-cocktails (plus, a great option when serving a crowd of 10 or more), and make Watermelon Margaritas and Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges.

Watermelon Margaritas
adapted from the Food Network recipe, serves four

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 ounces tequila
2 ounces Cointreau or Triple Sec (orange flavored liqueur)
1 1/2 cups ice
Lime wheel or watermelon wedge, for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Garnish rim of glass with a lime wheel or a watermelon wedge and serve immediately.

Optional: For frozen margaritas, place cut watermelon in a plastic bag and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours.

Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges
courtesy of Martha Stewart, serves four

Ingredients:

1 small seedless watermelon, red or yellow, quartered and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 limes, halved or cut into wedges
Flaked sea salt or coarse salt

Directions:

Arrange watermelon in a single layer in two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes. Bring sugar, water, tequila, and Triple Sec to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Pour syrup over watermelon wedges, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Remove watermelon from syrup, and arrange on a platter. Squeeze limes over melon, and season with salt.

Note: The longer the watermelon soaks, the more flavorful it becomes — one reason to save any leftover slices. Yeah right, leftover slices.

posted by Ms. S&C

1 Comment

Posted in cocktails, cointreau, spirits, spring/summer cocktails, tequila

Tagged drinking during the day, lake trip, watermelon

Song of the summer

Posted on August 6, 2008 by msshoescocktails | 5 comments

The Drink: Watermelon Lemonade

No self-respecting cocktail enthusiast can go through the summer season without using watermelon in a delicious beverage. The bright color and watery texture are ideal components for drinks. Martinis, margaritas, sangria – you can’t go wrong with this ingredient!

The Ingredients/Recipe:

This version of Watermelon Lemonade is a Shoes & Cocktails exclusive! And, it is actually quite good minus the booze, if you want to go that route.

(Recipe makes 3-4 drinks)

Cut ½ of a small watermelon into large chunks (do yourself a favor and get a seedless melon)
Puree in a blender, then strain into a pitcher (you should have enough liquid for a 3 to 1 alcohol ratio)
Add juice of two lemons
Add 3 or 4 shots vodka, preferably Absolut Citron
Mix well, then pour over ice
Garnish with fresh basil

Modifications: I generally prefer things tart rather than sweet. If this recipe is too tart for your liking, I recommend adding more watermelon, or 1 to 2 ounces of triple sec, Cointreau, or some other form of simple syrup. You can also garnish with mint, and/or lemon or watermelon wedges. I prefer basil because it is growing outside my backdoor, and nothing beats that smell in the summer!

Bonus tip: Here’s another perfect opportunity for using flavored ice cubes. Pour watermelon puree into your ice tray and freeze.

The Occasion:

Summer is a very important time for one’s social agenda. Picnics, backyard barbeques, trips to the lake, the beach – there are endless opportunities for enjoying cocktails with friends. I say, download these summer hits to your IPod, fire up the grill, slip on any number of yellow shoes because they will perfectly accessorize the watermelon cocktail in your hand.

The Shoes: Yellow Shoes

Yellow shoes are this season’s hot item for your warm weather wardrobe. Practically every brand has its own version; there are so many choices and so many styles. I personally like my friend LC’s shown below because (a) the quilting texture is unique, (b) they are wedges (and we all know the benefits of wearing wedges for those summer outdoor activities), and (c) check out the super-cool clear wedge heel. Great find!