Tipsy, Tasty, Turnt pt. 2

Hi Friends! I don’t know about you all, but I think I need a drink after this week. Maybe you had a rough week, maybe you need a nice and refreshing drink on this beautiful summer day, or maybe you’re just “celebrating life”. I heard that one a lot during my time as a hostess, and I think I need to ‘celebrate life’ more often.

My easy Watermelon Margarita recipe was delicious and helped me to use up some of the watermelon that my mom gave me. However, I was left with a whole mini watermelon and then some. I decided to make an even easier watermelon soju cocktail to bring to my dinner potluck later that night.

With some scrolls through Google, and some researching through recipes, I decided to try out  Seonkyoung Longest’s recipe on her website. I wish I had more time to make a delicious slush like she did and carve out the watermelon, but mine turned out delicious none the less. Maybe the next time I buy a big watermelon I’ll go big and carve the whole thing out!

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WATERMELON SOJU RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 mini seedless watermelon

1 bottle of Sprite (20 oz.)

1 bottle of soju (unflavored, 750mL) *

TO ASSEMBLE:

• If you’re going to serve the watermelon soju in a watermelon bowl, first you’re going to need to make a flat bottom by cutting off a sliver of the rind, so the watermelon doesn’t roll around. Then you’re going to scoop out the watermelon flesh into a separate bowl. Once all scooped out, place your watermelon rind bowl aside. Bonus points for style and presentation!
• I started my Watermelon Soju Cocktail by blending watermelon chunks to turn it into juice. Like the Watermelon Margarita, it is optional to strain the juice and skim the top off to get rid of the froth and any pulp that might’ve gotten through.
• I left some cubed watermelon in a container and put it in the freezer to be my “ice cubes” when I assemble.
• In a bowl (or your watermelon bowl), combine the watermelon juice, soju, and sprite and stir to combine. I chilled all liquids separately before combining so that the cocktail would be nice and cold when serving.
• Add in your frozen watermelon cubes and enjoy!

*Soju is a clear Korean liquor, distilled from rice and other starches like sweet potato or tapioca.  The taste is mild, and there are some ‘fun’ flavors out there. There’s the classic original soju, which is plain, but there’s other soju flavors like Strawberry, Yogurt, Plum, Green Apple, Grape, and more. When I eat Korean BBQ, we always order beer and soju to drink together.

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This cocktail is so easy to make, and it was a hit at the potluck. I should’ve made more! The watermelon I used was sweet, and in addition to the Sprite soda we didn’t need to add any sweetener. In Seonkyoung’s post she shares that you can switch it up by using vodka or rum instead of soju. If you wanted to make a “mocktail” (alcohol-less cocktail), you can omit the alcohol and add other fresh summer fruit in there! I’m sure that would be just as delicious and refreshing.

Soju cocktails are always a crowd pleaser at any dinner or party here on Oahu. Which simple cocktail should I attempt next? Maybe a Lychee Martini? An easy Espresso Martini? Until next time…