I made this Cantaloupe Martini for today since I had some leftover cantaloupe from my Cantaloupe and Ice Cream earlier this week. Seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to do, eh?
I think I’m getting better at quickly throwing together cocktails. This one I nailed it on the first try! Well, almost the first…I added a little mint simple syrup after I tasted my first go around since I really love flavored simple syrup in cocktails!
To Muddle or Puree the Cantaloupe?
I know I could have just muddled some of the juicy, sweet cantaloupe with a little mint but as I’ve said before, I don’t care for pulp in my cocktails. I like to sip my drinks without having to chew them! So I cut up a half of a cantaloupe into chunks and puréed it in the blender. To me, it was still a little too “pulpy” so I poured the cantaloupe pulp into a wire mesh strainer over a big bowl and let the juice drip down into the bowl. And it’s the juice that I saved and used in this Cantaloupe Martini. It gives the drink all the yummy goodness of cantaloupe flavor without the pulp. I did, however, muddle a few mint leaves in my cocktail shaker because I wanted a minty flavor and don’t mind a few small mint specs in the drink…and I love mint! And, if I’m being perfectly honest here, I simply didn’t think to add the mint to the blender when I was puréeing the cantaloupe. You could do that if you want and skip the muddle step!
Then it was just a matter of shaking the cantaloupe juice up with some vodka (you might like to try rum), some ginger liqueur, a little mint simple syrup and that’s it.
This Cantaloupe Martini is a delightful little ‘tini and a great way to use up some extra cantaloupe you may have. Who’s ready to drink one of these with me???
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- 2 shots cantaloupe juice*
- 1 shot vodka
- ½ shot ginger liqueur (I used Domaine de Canton)
- ¼ shot mint simple syrup
- a few leaves of fresh mint
- In a cocktail shaker filled with some ice, muddle a few mint leaves. Add cantaloupe juice, vodka, ginger liqueur and mint simple syrup. Shake well and strain into martini glass.
- *To make cantaloupe juice, puree cantaloupe chunks in blender, strain over wire mesh strainer and reserve liquid.
- *To make mint simple syrup, combine equal parts water and sugar (1/2 cup or a cup) in saucepan. Bring to boil, add handful fresh mint, stir. Remove from heat and let mint steep. When cooled, strain and refrigerate. You can read more about making flavored simple syrups here
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This looks tasty & easy to make! Very elegant and perfect for a Sunday afternoon cocktail! Cheers!
Thanks Kaitie, they really are quite delicious!
I’m in love! We get great cantaloupe here in AZ, so this is must-try! How great – thanks!
This looks so refreshing! Perfect for hot summer days!
Wow, it’s gorgeous, and the flavor sounds amazing!
I think your method sounds perfect. I’m not a muddled fan either.
Hey! I am a 10 year bartender with experience in all kinds of bars, ranging from clubs to hole
in the wall, to restaurants, to martini bars, to anything in between. I’ve taken continuing ed and new courses on bartending and mixology techniques. Basically, I can make a damn good cocktail with good technique, whether I’m following a recipe or making it up. That being said, I’m here to offer a few tips, and insight.
Be careful blending mint. If you over muddle, it can become bitter, requiring more syrup of choice (simple, agave, flavored simple syrup, etc) to balance the cocktail. Many professional (myself included) bartenders will advise that you only use a flat ended wooden muddler for mint because metal muddlers (or even the plastic ones with teeth) break the mint up too much, causing bitterness. Bonus tip: smack a mint sprig once between your palms before adding it as garnish. Adds just enough aroma to inhale when first tasting the drink.
Also, when making martinis, a great investment would be a small mesh strainer. They make them specifically for cocktails. The handle rests on one side of your martini glass and a small hook feature sits on the other side, going across the diameter of the glass. Strain your martini over the mesh one, into the glass. This strains out ice crystals and small chunks of ice or fruit, mint, etc. that make it through normal straining techniques. These crystals create a small water layer on the top of your drink . Shake a martini for at least 7 full seconds for proper water dilution (25%). Believe it or not, many recipes rely on the fact that the maker will shake at LeaSt this length of time, creating the appropriate amout of water .
Extra bonus tip: most cocktails should have at least 3 components: tartness, sweetness, and alcohol. Too much of any usually make for a subpar, unbalanced cocktail. Of course, there are exceptions, but that’s the general rule.
Just a couple tips to add to your arsenal 🙂 Hope that didn’t come off as cocky. Happy mixing!
I never knew about mint getting bitter…guess I’ve never over muddled it before LOL. Lots of good tips here, thanks for sharing them.
I’m with you, I don’t like any bits of food in my drinks. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Is it too early for one of these now????
It’s got fruit so it’s not too early! After all, it’s 5:00 somewhere 😉