Make Your Own Fun

Infusing vodka with the flavors of watermelon, cucumber and mint is a wonderful way to welcome spring.

Many of us have been confined to our homes for the past year. We are missing family, friends and the normal routines of life before the virus. We are having our groceries delivered and using meal delivery services to get our prepared meals instead of going out to eat. I am one of those people.

Sitting in my home on a cold winter day, I started thinking of the warmer days ahead and being able to gather with friends and family. I wanted to make something reminiscent of spring.

When preparing the cocktails for this column, I often go to the ABC store and walk the aisles looking for ingredients that sound good or appeal to my palate. Most of you know I am partial to vodka, so lots of my recipes include a type of flavored vodka. Not being able to stroll the aisles of the liquor store to get ideas, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had a bottle of Absolut vodka at home, and that became the base for this recipe.

I soaked watermelon, cucumber and mint in the vodka and stored it in the refrigerator, and 14 days later I had an amazing cocktail that took me back to the days partying in a crowd of more than 10. I just mixed it with a little bit of soda water over ice and garnished it with slices of cucumber, chunks of watermelon and fresh mint for an amazingly refreshing cocktail.

To create your own flavored vodka, try to use a vodka that comes in a glass bottle. You want to use a vodka that has been distilled at least six times, and most in a glass bottle meet this criterion.

If there is anything I have learned during this past year, it is that you have got to make your own fun. Try to make your own infused vodka, and I am sure the fun will follow.

Print Recipe

Watermelon-Cucumber-Mint Infused Vodka

This recipe is for 750ml of vodka. You can adjust or cut in half to make less if desired. You can also split this into two jars if you don’t have a jar big enough to accommodate the recipe.

Course

Cocktail

Cuisine

cocktail

Keyword

cocktail, cucumber, watermelon

Servings

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers peeled and sliced
• 2 cups sweet watermelon chopped into cubes
• 1 lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 150ml bottle of vodka

Course Cocktail Cuisine cocktail Keyword cocktail, cucumber, watermelon Servings Ingredients 2 large cucumbers peeled and sliced 2 cups sweet watermelon chopped into cubes 1 lemon zest 1/4 cup fresh mint 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 150ml bottle of vodka

Instructions

1. Place the watermelon, cucumber, lemon zest, fresh mint and salt in a large clean jar and fill with vodka.
2. Seal the jar and place in the refrigerator for 7 to 14 days to infuse.
3. Give the jar a shake every day and taste to see how the infusion is coming along. Once the infused vodka has attained the desired flavor, strain the ingredients from the vodka and re-bottle. Keep refrigerated.