Cucumber Cantaloupe Mint Fizz
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With summer in full swing, it’s time to make this delightful cantaloupe melon cocktail! This vodka-based cocktail also contains cucumber and mint, making it really refreshing on a hot sunny day. Carbonated water (seltzer) adds a sparkling touch, and gives this cocktail its name: Cucumber Cantaloupe Mint Fizz!
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Cantaloupe Melon Cocktail
The cantaloupe melon is also known as rockmelon (Australia); sweet melon; or spanspek (South Africa); and is sweet and juicy with orange flesh. It is one of my favourite melon varieties, and makes this cocktail awesome!
Because of the textured skin, which can harbour bacteria, it’s a good idea to scrub and wash your cantaloupe before preparing. [Source of info: Wiki]
Special Ingredients
To make this delicious cocktail you will of course need cantaloupe, but also cucumber, and fresh mint which is turned into a syrup with water and sugar.
The cocktail is topped up with fizzy water (carbonated water, or seltzer) – essentially water that has had bubbles added. It’s not quite the same as sparkling mineral water, which is often naturally carbonated. But to be honest, use whichever type of fizzy water you like, I don’t think it will make much of a difference!
And vodka. I nearly forgot the alcoholic ingredient used in this cocktail! If you’re not a vodka fan, I’ve got some variations at the end of this post!
How do I know if a cantaloupe is ripe?
The only problem with melon (and quite a lot of fruit really) is that it can be difficult to know if they are ripe. Fruit tastes the best and sweetest when ripe, so how do you know if the melon you picked up at the store is going to be good?
The simplest way to know if a cantaloupe is ripe is to smell it. Literally, pick up the fruit and take a sniff at the blossom end – this is the end that the stalk was attached to the plant. If it has a sweet aroma, you’re good to go!
RELATED READING: Spiked Fresh Watermelon Cocktail – Watermelon Breeze
Special Equipment
For my UK readers: This recipe uses American cup measurements. Since I use this type of measurement often, I find it handy to have a set of these cups in the kitchen.
I like to avoid any really specialized equipment in my recipes, but I do like to give a heads up if there is something specific used, so you can see if you have it (or need to add it to your kitchen) before making the recipe.
A melon baller is useful for making melon balls (obviously!) to add to this cocktail for garnish. And it’s also great to add melon balls to fruit salads to make them look pretty. If you don’t have a melon baller, then just cut up small cubes of melon instead.
Because we are making a simple syrup with the melon, cucumber, mint, sugar, and water, we need to strain this to get all that flavour out! A fine-mesh sieve is great for this, as it is designed exactly for this purpose. If you don’t have a fine-mesh sieve, you could in a pinch use a coffee filter, or a piece of muslin/cheesecloth.
This cantaloupe melon cocktail is shaken, not stirred, so you will need a cocktail shaker. But again, if you don’t have one, I have an alternative – you could use anything which has a secure lid such as a mason jar, water bottle (with a wide mouth so you can fit ice cubes), or even the cup on a blender or smoothie maker.
How do I make Cucumber Cantaloupe Mint Fizz?
The base of this cocktail is a flavored syrup – which starts life as a simple sugar syrup. The clue is in the name because it is really simple to make! You place equal measures of sugar and water in a pan and stir over medium heat. By the time it starts to simmer, the sugar is dissolved, and that’s it! You can then add flavorings like herbs, spices, edible flowers, and fruit.
To make the flavored syrup for this cocktail, just add cucumber slices, chopped cantaloupe, and fresh mint leaves, and leave it to steep as the syrup cools. Once cooled, use a potato masher to mash everything up a bit.
Now it is time to strain the syrup. We want to make sure that we catch all the precious nectar, so place the fine mesh sieve/strainer over a bowl/cup/jug and pour in the contents of the pan (fruit, and all).
Gently press the cucumber, cantaloupe, and mint against the mesh with a spoon so that you extract as much goodness from it as possible. Anything leftover can then be discarded.
With the syrup made, it’s time to shake the drink together! But first – garnish!
Use a melon baller to scoop out some of the melon flesh into little balls which are added to the drink. If you have time, why not freeze the melon balls and use them instead of (or as well as) ice cubes? Lay the melon balls on a sheet tray and place in the freezer for a few hours. You can then transfer them to a freezer bag to store for later use.
Other garnishes for this melon flavoured beverage are slices of cucumber, and fresh mint leaves. You could get all fancy and skewer the elements onto cocktail picks.
Right, back to making the drink… add ice to your cocktail shaker, along with some of the syrup, and a shot of vodka. Shake well, then strain into a glass filled with ice and melon balls. Top off with the carbonated water/seltzer and garnish with mint leaves and cucumber.
All that is left to do, is sit back, relax, and enjoy!
There will be leftover syrup, so either make another drink!… Or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator – use within 3 days.
You will find the cantaloupe melon cocktail video on my YouTube Channel – save it to your Recipe Playlist for future reference! Don’t forget to subscribe while you are there!
Cucumber Cantaloupe Mint Fizz Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1½ cups fresh chopped cantaloupe about half a cantaloupe
- 6 fresh mint leaves
- 8 cucumber slices
- 1 shot Vodka 1½oz/50ml
- Ice cubes
- Carbonated water/seltzer to top up
- Melon balls cucumber slices, fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Simple Syrup:
- Place the sugar and water in a pan over medium heat and stir until it dissolves – it should be around the time the mixture starts to simmer. Remove from the heat.
- Add cantaloupe, mint, and cucumber to the pan and stir to combine.
- Leave to steep in the syrup until cool, then use a potato masher to mash everything up a bit.
- When the syrup is cooled, pour the mixture over a fine-mesh sieve, over a bowl/cup/jug, and use a spoon to press against the cantaloupe, cucumber and mint against the side, to get that flavor out! Discard anything that doesn’t go through the sieve.
To Make Drink:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and add ⅓ cup of the syrup and 1 shot (1½ oz/50ml) of vodka.
- Shake well, and strain into a glass filled with ice and (optional) melon balls.
- Top with carbonated water/seltzer, and garnish with cucumber slice and mint leaves (garnish optional).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Cucumber Cantaloupe Mint Fizz Mocktail!
It is so easy to turn this alcoholic beverage into a mocktail – a non-alcoholic cocktail – but simply omitting the vodka. Just add some of the flavored syrup to a glass, and top up with fizzy water. Add ice cubes, and melon balls as with the regular cocktail and you’re all set! This is a great summer party drink for non-drinkers, and for kids too.
Cantaloupe Melon Cocktail Variations
Of course! Any liquor that pairs well with sweet fruits will work well in this recipe if you are not a fan of vodka. Here are some ideas to try instead of the Russian spirit:
- Add sparkling wine and turn it into a Melon Mimosa!
- Add white rum, and a dash of lime juice and turn it into a Melon Daiquiri!
- Amp up the melon flavor with Midori, which is a Japanese liqueur made with melon.
- Add Tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice and turn it into a Melon Margarita!
- Add some gin instead of vodka and top with tonic water.
- Muddle some mint leaves and wedges of lime in a glass (basically, bash them to break out their flavour). Add white rum, and the melon syrup and you’ve got a Melon Mojito!
Mealtime Inspiration!
Looking for some mealtime inspiration to go with this vodka cocktail? I’ve got you covered!
- Main Dish: Greek-Cypriot Souvlaki (kebabs), Tzatziki + Pitta Bread
- Side Salad: Giant Couscous Antipasti Salad
- Dessert: {Reconstructed} Eton Mess
More Cocktail Recipes
Once you’ve made this cantaloupe mint fizz, I’m sure you’ll be wanting more cocktail recipes – here are some more for you to check out: