Chef’s notes: “I can’t get enough of watermelon in the summer, and I made this by the pitcherful through the tough summer of 2020. It works equally well with all the clear spirits—I’m partial to rum—or no booze at all.”
Recipe
Watermelon-Cucumber Cooler
Yield: 8 servings
Cheetie Kumar adds a tangy rim of toasted spices to this refreshing summer cocktail
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
Ingredients
For the syrups
3 cups seedless watermelon chunks
3 tbsp. plus 4 tsp. granulated sugar, divided
2 cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped
For the glass rims
2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
5 or 6 whole black peppercorns
¼ cup kosher salt
For each cocktail
¾ oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1¾ oz. silver rum, gin, or vodka (if desired)
1½ oz. soda water (Topo Chico works great)
Mint sprigs, for garnish
Cucumber slices, for garnish
Lime leaves, for garnish
Preparation
Make the syrups: In a blender, puree watermelon and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard pulp. Return juice to blender and whiz with 3 tbsp. sugar to dissolve. Repeat with cucumber and 4 tsp. sugar and set aside. This makes enough of each syrup for 8 cocktails (and can easily be doubled).
Toast spices for the rims: Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and peppercorns and cook, shaking the pan, until crackling and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool before grinding with spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Stir in kosher salt and set aside.
To serve: Rub rim of each glass (Kumar likes an 11 oz. collins or double rocks glass) with a lime wedge and dip in spice mixture to coat rim. Drop in a few ice cubes. For each cocktail, in a shaker add 2 oz. watermelon syrup, 1 oz. cucumber syrup, lime juice, a pinch of salt and grind of pepper, and the booze (if using). Add plenty of ice, shake well, and strain into prepared glass. Stir in about 1½ oz. of soda (more if omitting alcohol). Garnish with mint, cucumber, and lime leaf.
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