Watermelon is the ultimate summertime refreshment, and this watermelon soda with lime is the ultimate summer drink when the mercury climbs!
When I think of summer, produce is one of the recurring themes in my head. There are so many things that are in season in the summer, things that sure, you can buy them in January, but is it really going to be worth it? Tomatoes, blueberries, peaches, squash, okra…watermelon.?I mean, really – is there a more iconic summer fruit than watermelon? When I think of going to a picnic or cookout, I think of huge slices of watermelon, or maybe big chunks in a bowl to be doled out with a spoon. If you’re really fancy, you might even have one of those watermelon rind “boats” filled with balls of melon. I’m not fancy. I don’t own a melon baller, and I just chunk my watermelon.
Seriously, when I think about watermelon I can visualize kids gathered around a picnic table with big wedges of bright red fruit with green-striped rind in their hands, sticky juice running down their arms as they bite into the soft flesh. Eating watermelon is a never-ending battle against, well, water, since that is what makes up 92% of a watermelon. Better not eat it without a restroom nearby; sorry, just stating facts. You should probably have some wet wipes around too, just in case.
Or, you could drink watermelon soda. I mean, if you were already going to cut your watermelon into chunks (I was, thank you. They’re much easier to store than wedges.), then you might as well throw those chunks in the blender with a little simple syrup, a squeeze of lime, and a bit of club soda or seltzer. Watermelon soda = no wet wipes required (you probably still want to have a restroom nearby). You could definitely add a little white rum, vodka, or silver tequila in there if you want…
…because it’s your watermelon soda to do as you please. Enjoy.
Mary
Yield: 4 servings
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups watermelon chunks (about 1/2 of a small seedless watermelon)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup simple syrup
- 3 limes
- cold club soda or seltzer water
Instructions
- Make the simple syrup: combine the sugar and the water over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour into a lidded container and refrigerate until chilled.
- Puree the watermelon chunks in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Fill 4 12-ounce glasses with ice. Divide the watermelon juice among the glasses (you'll use about 1/2 cup for each). Top each with the juice of 1/2 of a lime and 1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup. Fill the glass the rest of the way with club soda or seltzer. Stir then garnish with limes and watermelon wedges.
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