Citrusy Cantaloupe Cocktails

True fact: It's Friday.

True fact: It may or may not be 5 o'clock somewhere.

Actually, it probably is 5 o'clock somewhere. I'm not sure where, but it probably is. And if you are there, I recommend whipping up a batch of these frosty bad boys. Stat. Tart lemon and sweetly delicious cantaloupe juice mixed with vodka. They are so good. 

Another true fact- most of the juice for these cocktails was drank by the hubby without the vodka. He found what I've been calling "melonade"  in the fridge, and he drank the whole pitcher in a day! The nerve. However, I think this means the juice is pretty good on its on, so by all means, just make the "melonade" if that's what your heart desires. My heart desires vodka, but that's just me :)

One tip I observed while juicing cantaloupes- the orange colored material in cantaloupe juice settles out of the juice after time. Give the pitcher a quick stir before serving. 

Gorgeous. Delicious. After I had extracted the juice from the cantaloupes, I mixed it with simple syrup (1 cup sugar to 1 cup water) and the juice from 5-6 lemons. Of course, you'll need to add some fresh, cold water after you've mixed the syrup, cantaloupe juice, and lemon juice. But really, that's it for the "melonade". The hardest part was juicing the cantaloupe. It's true, the hubby and I have a juicer, but I blended the cantaloupe in the food processor and then pushed it through a sieve. What? The juicer takes like 20 minutes just to clean. 

Lazy, lazy, lazy. 

I like strong drinks, so I used a shot of vodka in the cocktail. Tailor to your perfect level. 

Garnish with some diced melon and a sprig of mint.

So pretty!

Subject change time- I don't know if I've mentioned this yet or not, but with the new bed the hubby and I got, my back pain is continuing to decrease. This is amazing! Just in June, when I was out in Oregon, I was having severe pain. Family members were seriously on my case to go to the doctor and take the next step after physical therapy. The next step would have been cortisone shots combined with physical therapy. I was really dragging my feet, mainly because I didn't want anyone injecting cortisone into me. Well, I'm glad I waited. My back feels better than it has in a year. One more month, and I think I'll be back to normal. I'm so relieved! And, as the pain decreases, the hubby and I are slowly working on our running. We started a training program for Path to the Cure. It's mostly run/walk the first week, so this week hasn't been too bad. 

I'm just so happy to be running again. I love yoga and mediation, and I love going to the gym, however I just wasn't getting the benefits from those that I do from running. I find it easier to let go and relax on a long run than I do during mediation. Yeah, I'm one of those people. 

Anyhoo, yay for less back pain! Yay for less back pain without cortisone shots! Yay for less back pain without pain killers, muscle relaxers, and physical therapy! 

Have a great weekend everyone, and remember, 

IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE!! :)

'

Ingredients (makes 4-8 cocktails, depending on size):

Melonade-

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into sections

5-6 lemons

5-6 cups cold water

4 oz vodka

garnish- diced cantaloupe and mint sprigs (optional)

ice

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, set aside.

2. Place cantaloupe in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Push mixture through a fine sieve. Reserve the juice, discard the membranes.

3. Juice the lemons. Reserve the juice, discard the membranes.

4. In a pitcher, add cantaloupe juice, lemon juice, and simply syrup. Add cold water, stir to combine. 

5. In 4 small glasses filled with ice, add 1 oz vodka. Fill rest of glass with melonade. Garnish with diced cantaloupe and mint sprigs. Serve immediately. Store leftover juice in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Printable Recipe

Looking for other cocktail recipes? Try these!

Watermelon Moscato Slushies

Boozy Salted Caramel Milkshakes

"Mangling" Margaritas

Linked to: Create It Thursday, Thank Goodness It's Thursday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Treasure Box Tuesday, Tipsy Tuesday