Frozen Watermelon Vodka Cocktail

We are coming up on watermelon season! Yummy! It seems like everywhere I look, people are posting and pinning and tweeting all sorts of amazing watermelon concoctions, so I figured I'd join the fun.

First step: I went to the grocery store and bought a seedless watermelon. My mom's advice is to always get the ugliest melon you can find. She says those yellow spots and brown lines mean it's ripe and sweet. I'm not sure if this advice is absolutely true, but it usually seems to work out for me. So I brought a super ugly melon home and snacked on some just to make sure it was a good one. I think I let it sit in the fruit basket a little too long, because it turned out a little mushy, but it was extremely sweet and juicy. Perfect for the plans I had for it!

Frozen Watermelon Vodka Cocktail 
(Print Recipe)

1 seedless watermelon (roughly 8 cups chopped into cubes)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Watermelon Vodka to taste
Lime wedges, mint sprigs, or your choice of fruit for garnish

Chop the melon into roughly 1-inch cubes, removing the rind.

Puree in a blender -- should only take a few seconds.

Now make some sour mix. In a saucepan, combine lemon, lime, water, and sugar. Heat on low until sugar dissolves.

Stir the sour mix into the blended watermelon. Pour into a container and freeze for at least 6 hours. (If you use a shallow container, it will freeze faster. I don't have a shallow container that would fit in my freezer, so a mixing bowl worked just fine. I just had to wait a little longer.)

The pulp tends to separate from the water, so before serving, blend the frozen watermelon mix again for a few seconds. If you let it freeze overnight, you may need to let it thaw a little bit before you'll be able to blend it.

Pour some watermelon vodka in a glass. One shot per 5 oz watermelon was perfect for my taste. Now pour in the blended watermelon, stir, and garnish.

Chill the vodka and glass in the freezer for an hour before serving to ensure your drink stays extra frosty.

This drink is amazingly refreshing. On a side note, I'm planning on going watermelon picking the weekend of July 4th. I predict that most of the melons we pick will be turned into cocktails.