Watermelon and Vodka Cocktails

During our 2 week vacation at the Jersey Shore, I made a splendid cocktail with watermelon, limes, lemons, vodka and Triple Sec.   Most of the drinks that I make, when I make cocktails, utilize vodka.  I don't like gin and rum makes me feel mean.  Tequila is best done as a shot, preferably when you are young and dumb and don't know any better.  For the most part, I'm a beer lady through and through with the occasional glass of wine thrown back for good heart health.  

This drink concoction was born out of needing to use a bunch of stuff we had on hand and wanting to use a very large watermelon before it spoiled.  We had a lot of spirits in the house because two of our vacations mates were moving across country and had the last of their Philly house's belongings, provisions and party paraphernalia to take with them in their car.  No need to cart bottles of booze to the heartland when we could easily imbibe in it on the East Coast! Voila! A new drink was created.

The "recipe" as it were is a step by step pictorial.  Here's what I used and what you may wish to use as well:

Watermelon and Vodka Cocktail Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Watermelon - Chopped (about 1 small sugar baby seedless melon or 1/2 of a small bowling ball sized watermelon!)
• 2 Cups Good Vodka - we had Tito's Handmade Vodka, from Austin, Texas
• 1 Cup Triple Sec
• Freshly Squeezed Juice of 3 Lemons and 3 Limes
• 3 to 4 Dashes of Orange Bitters or Regular Bitters if you have them
• 1 Litter Bottle of Seltzer/Club Soda
• Ice for Cocktail Glasses
• Blender, Pitcher, Cocktail Glasses, Spoon for Stirring

1. Chop the Watermelon into large 2 inch chunks and put them into a large pitcher. Pour the Vodka, Triple Sec and Bitters into the pitcher.

2. Work in batches if your blender is small, and add in the watermelon and liquid.  Put the lid on the blender, cover with a clean kitchen towel and hold the towel on top of the lid while you puree the  melon and alcohol on high.

3. Puree until the mixture is frothy and all the watermelon is liquefied.   Pour the mixture into cocktail glasses filled with ice and top with seltzer or club soda.

4. Stir the cocktail with a stirrer or cocktail spoon to keep the mixture from separating.  Enjoy!  Makes 1 to 1 1/2 quarts of beverage.  Best served chilled immediately.