I realize I’m rushing the season for this sort of drink, but we had a brief flash of summer last week in New York, and it reminded me of a drink that I made a few weeks before during our spring break in sunny Palm Springs. It’s light and refreshing, and it’s delicious with or without the addition of tequila, making it a drink the whole family can enjoy together, day or evening. If you’re not a fan of (good) tequila, seek help, but in the meantime substitute vodka.
One ingredient here may look strange: jalapeño pepper. This isn’t a spicy drink, though. The pepper (with the hot seeds and ribs removed), adds a fresh, slightly sharp flavor that complements the sweetness of ripe watermelon.
Recipe
Ingredients
Watermelon chunks (to fill a blender)
About 1/2 cup water
Juice of one lime
1/2 large jalapeño pepper (or 1 small), seeds and ribs removed
Agave syrup to taste
About two ounces of silver tequila per serving (optional)
Instructions
1. Peel and cut the watermelon into about 1 1/2 inch chunks and fill the blender with them.
2. Add the juice of 1 lime and about 1/2 cup of cold water.
3. Halve the pepper lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and cut out the ribs (this is where most of the heat lives); chop it up and add it to the blender.
4. Puree the mixture until it’s smooth and you can no longer see bits of the green pepper whirling around in the liquid. Taste and add a teaspoon or two of agave syrup to sweeten, if necessary.
Serve over ice, with or without tequila. Garnish with watermelon wedges and wheels of lime.
