watermelon basil colada
Even though I spent most of my college years bartending to pay the bills ...... these days, in our house, Michael is in charge of the drinks. I am almost always in charge of food (obviously) and he is in charge of whipping up fancy cocktails and picking out the wine for us and our guests when we have dinner parties or just feel like having a fancy sundown cocktail on the porch. I lean on him heavily for this. I am just not that comfortable whipping up super fancy cocktails.
However, give me the Vitamix, some fruit, and some other good-for-you-ingredeints, and then I am in my comfort zone. Frozen blended drinks, with a healthy twist, where you can add in some alcohol if you're feeling frisky, are totally in my wheelhouse.
The other day, we had a ton of leftover watermelon and we were looking to make a fun and refreshing cocktail to fill up a cooler and take to the beach. I chopped up that watermelon, threw it in the blender with little more than some water, basil, mint, lime, and a tiny piece of jalapeño ... and it was so delicious. Oh, and we splashed some tequila in there because ...... summer. saturday. That drink was so good and refreshing, I was inspired to make more watermelon cocktails before the summer comes to an end.
Today, this blogger virtual cocktail party #drinkthesummer, was the perfect excuse to make another delicious watermelon cocktail. This time, I wanted to make something that could work as both a mocktail/cocktail, for that wednesday afternoon when you want to pretend like you are on the beach drinking a cocktail, but you actually have work to do. We all know that piña coladas are the ultimate old school virgin cocktail. I thought, watermelon would be a good stand in for the pineapple. Watermelon + creamy coconut, you cannot go wrong.
If you've ever had a piña colada (I know you have), then you know that it's best to not think about what's in that creamy coconut coco lopez stuff, or how many calories you ingesting (yikes). You know that there is no way I am buying coco lopez and telling you to put that stuff into this drink. Well, after some experimenting, I was excited to figure out that you can easily mimic coco lopez by blending together some good-for-you ingredients to get that same cream of coconut taste. Some light coconut milk, coconut butter, and some honey does the trick. Add to that, some simply blended watermelon and you have a tasty cocktail or mocktail that's perfect for these last few weeks of summer.
***scroll down for a list of all of the incredibly creative cocktails by the other bloggers participating in #DRINKTHESUMMER ....as well as the recipe for this watermelon basil colada!
With Food + Love | Fresh Heirloom Bloody Marys with Old Bay and Spicy Pickles
Will Frolic for Food | The Sugar Hollow: Watermelon Gin Cocktail with Cardamom and Lime
Kale & Caramel | Sweet Coconut, Hibiscus & Lime Slushie
Hummingbird High | Thyme Lemonade
Brooklyn Supper | Bloody Maria Cocktails
Cake Over Steak | Blackberry Bourbon Cocktail
Loves Food, Loves to Eat | Coconut Nectarine White Wine Spritzers
Dunk & Crumble | Ginger Peach Whiskey Smash
Tasty Yummies | When Figs Fly: Spiced Rum Fig Kombucha Cocktail
Feed Me Phoebe | Pimm's Cup Cocktail with Fresh Ginger, Lime and Tarragon
Earthy Feast | Strawberry, Basil and Pink Peppercorn Negroni
Ginger & Toasted Sesame | Blackberry Peach Margarita with Spicy Salt
O&O Eats | The Long Hope: a Honeydew Cucumber Gin Cocktail
my name is yeh | Nutella Egg Cream
Faring Well | Sparkling Melon Coolers with Muddled Raspberries and Mint
Beard and Bonnet | Pineapple and Cilantro Moscow Mule
The Pancake Princess | Strawberry Balsamic Shrubs
Edible Perspective | Rosé Slushies
Vegetarian 'Ventures | Sparkling Peppered Plum Blush
The Broken Bread | Blackberry, Cucumber and Mint Gin Spritzer
Tending the Table | Plum Spritzer with Ginger and Kafir Lime
Appeasing a Food Geek | Sugar Plum Margarita
She Eats | Fizzy Lime and Blackberry Shrub
holly & flora | Pimm's Cup with Blackberry and Lemon Zest Shrub
Vigor and Sage | Peachy Tomato Basil Gin and Tonic
The Pig & Quill | Raspberry Basil Gingerade Fizz
Hungry Girl por Vida | Peanut Butter and Berry Smoothie
A Brown Table | Fig and Bourbon Summer Smash
The Clever Carrot | 5 Minute White Peach Margaritas
Cookie and Kate | Watermelon Sangria
le jus d'orange | Peach Yogurt Soju and Ginger Plum Kombucha Cocktail
Chocolate + Marrow | Raspberry Thyme Smash
The Bojon Gourmet | Basil Pluot Pimm's Cup
Snixy Kitchen | Sparkling Asian Pear and Mint Iced Tea
i am a food blog | Thyme Gin and Tonics
Fix Feast Flair | Berry Peachy Kentucky Mules
Salt & Wind | Watermelon Aperol Spritzes
ANDDD ...... here's mine!
watermelon basil colada
SEVRES 4
INGREDIENTS
for the coconut cream:
1 can of organic light coconut milk
3 tablespoons of coconut butter
2 tablespoons of honey
a pinch of salt
for the watermelon juice:
4 cups of chopped watermelon
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1/3 cup of filtered water
3-4 basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Options for alcohol:2-4 oz of dark rum, tequila, or vodka
METHOD
- Blend the ingredients for the coconut cream. Pour them into a separate container, and rinse out the blender.
- Blend the ingredients for the watermelon juice. Keep in it the blender.
- To mix the cocktail, slowly add in the coconut cream, and stop to taste along the way. You might like a lot of the cream coconut, or you might just like a little. So it's best to taste after adding about 1/2 cup and add more if you like or just keep it as is. If you would like to add alcohol, add 2-4 shots(oz) of the alcohol of your choice and blend. I find it's best to start with 2, and add one at a time so that it doesn't taste too strong (unless you want it to, of course).
- Serve in individual glasses over some ice with a few basil leaves as a garnish.