This blend – watermelon, mezcal, ginger, lime, and prickly-pear [cactus] syrup – combines to create a sweet, smoky, fuchsia-colored cocktail. No need to have a prickly-pear cactus growing in the backyard, either. The syrup comes bottled, with Monin’s Desert Pear probably the most widely available.
Ingredients:
Serves 2 (with watermelon-infused mezcal remaining)
For the watermelon-infused mezcal*:
1 cup mezcal
½ cup cubed ripe watermelon
Using a glass container that can be closed, such as a mason jar, combine the mezcal and watermelon. Close the container and set it on a counter (it does not need to be refrigerated).
Let the mixture infuse for 24-48 hours (or longer, if you wish). From time to time, give the container a gentle shake.
After 1 or 2 days, place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl and pour the contents of the container into the sieve. Press gently on the cubed watermelon to express as much liquid as possible.
Store any leftover watermelon-infused mezcal in a closed container away from heat and sunlight.
*Tip: The recipe uses a ratio of 2:1. It easily can be decreased or increased by always combining 2 parts mezcal with 1 part cubed watermelon.
For the cocktail:
4 ounces watermelon-infused mezcal (recipe above)
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce ginger liqueur
1 ounce prickly-pear [cactus] syrup (such as Monin’s Desert Pear)
In a cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients. Add ice to the shaker until it is ¾ full.
Shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass or other glass of your choice.
–Adapted from a recipe by Amy Traynor on the Moody Mixologist (www.moodymixologist.com)
Recipe tested by Ellen Ficklen; email questions to hello@watermelontimes.com