Watermelon Basil Gimlet Bucket

I am trying to savor the last of the summer fruit – although thankfully in California as the seasons change the weather pretty much stays the same. This fun cocktail is served as a “bucket” — a large batch of a cocktail in a non-traditional container: a hollowed out watermelon!

It’s especially perfect for any upcoming Labor Day weekend plans. I love serving cocktails this way when I’m hosting friends at my apartment so I don’t need to be constantly playing bartender and missing out on conversations. Just make a batch (or several) then sit down and let everyone refill as they please.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Gin – Gin is made by distilling grains like wheat or barley with botanicals. To be considered gin, juniper must be prominently featured and a notable flavor profile. Other common ingredients used to flavor gin are orange, coriander, cardamom, pepper or licorice. The base of gin is a neutral spirit, often vodka. 
• Watermelon – Watermelon is a refreshing summer fruit in season from July through August. I prefer seedless watermelon if you can find them. The inside of the watermelon is scooped out and blended to create the juice base of this cocktail.

How to Make a Watermelon Gin Fizz

1. Spoon out the watermelon. Use a knife to slice a small section off the bottom of the watermelon so that it will stand on its end. Slice ½-inch off the top then use a spoon to hollow out the watermelon.
2. Blend the juice. Reserve the meat and juices from the watermelon in a large bowl. Set the hollowed watermelon aside. Add the juice and meat to a blender.
3. Strain the juice. Blend until pureed. Use a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth set in it to strain the pulp from the juice back into a large mixing bowl. The watermelon should yield 3 cups of juice.
4. Mix the cocktail. Combine the 3 cups of watermelon juice with the gin, lime juice and basil, stirring to combine. Pour the cocktail mixture back into the watermelon with ice.
5. Serve. To serve, ladle into ice-filled tumblers and garnish with lime wedges.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

You won’t need to add any simple syrup to this cocktail – the natural sugars from the watermelon juice sweetens it just enough.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Lavender Lemon Fizz
• Rosemary Kumquat Gin Fizz
• Frosé

Watermelon Basil Gimlet Bucket

By Kylie Mazon-Chambers

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Serves 4

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Ingredients:

• ▢ 1 (5-pound) small seedless watermelon
• ▢ 1/3 cup gin
• ▢ ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ▢ ¼ cup basil leaves, torn
• ▢ Lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions:

• Use a knife to slice a small section off the bottom of the watermelon so that it will stand on its end. Slice ½-inch off the top then use a spoon to hollow out the watermelon.
• Reserve the meat and juices from the watermelon in a large bowl. Once the watermelon is completely hollowed, set it aside and add the juice and meat to a blender.
• Blend until pureed. Use a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth set in it to strain the pulp from the juice back into a large mixing bowl. The watermelon should yield 3 cups of juice.
• Combine the 3 cups of watermelon juice with the gin, lime juice and basil, stirring to combine. Pour the cocktail mixture back into the watermelon with ice.
• To serve, ladle into ice-filled tumblers and garnish with lime wedges.

Nutrition:

Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 1283mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 6488IU | Vitamin C: 96mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg

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