Cantaloupe Gin Cocktails

I know what my mom wants for Mother's Day...

 

I seriously almost can't even concentrate on the cocktail at hand because of the stunning view in the background.  Just a 40-minute ferry ride away from downtown Vancouver is paradise at my friend Cleary's vacation home in Sechelt, BC, where she, my friend Ashley, and I spent last weekend sipping on these Cantaloupe Gin cocktails.  There were dolphins out swimming around (I couldn't see them - I can never easily find cool stuff in nature when people point things out to me - but my friends told me they were there), the temperature was nice and toasty (and it's only Maaaaaaaay!), and we were enjoying some girl time and these Gin Cantaloupe Cocktails in front of a beautiful view of British Columbia (mountains, ocean, trees - oh my!).

Our only excursion out and away from this view was down to the grocery store and liquor store, and then finally to the store that you buy fresh live crab from (fish store? crab store? seafood shop?  I'm not even sure what you call it).  We melted some garlic butter, boiled the crab, spread newspapers over the patio table, and went to town on some fresh cooked crab - yum!  I've never done that before, and now all I can think about is when the next time will be that I do it again, it was that good.  

Back to Mother's Day.  I have the best mom, and she has always been and still continues to be my biggest role model in life (hi Mom!).  She's smart, beautiful, competent, funny, and always there for her children and husband.  The Hubby and I are both lucky to live close to our parents and to get to see our moms (and dads - but I will save that gush for Father's Day!) as often as we want.  I also have a fantastic mother-in-law (hi Dori!), who is very giving, smart, thoughtful, caring, always ready with a glass of wine or a coffee, and quick to lend an ear.  A special shout-out to my 'other mom,' Auntie Glenda, too - happy first grandmother's day!  

I love my moms, and would like to wish a very happy Mother's Day to all of the other wonderful mothers out there in the world!  This one's for you...now to get your children to mix this bevvie up for you!  If you're not a gin-loving mama, perhaps this Peach Bellini or this 1-2-3-4-5 Caesar recipe would suit you better.  Enjoy!

PS:  After today I'm off for two weeks for first a work conference in Toronto, and then an eastern Canada road trip through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and then finally Nova Scotia...can't wait!  There won't be any blog posts while I'm gone because I wasn't organized enough (fact).  Talk to you at the end of May!

Cantaloupe Gin Cocktails

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup diced cantaloupe (plus additional for garnish)
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• Juice of one 1/2 lemon 
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 6 ounces gin, chilled
• A few ice cubes

Directions
In a blender on low speed, puree the cantaloupe with the cider, the lemon juice, a pinch of the Kosher salt, and the honey.  It will take a little longer to puree the mixture on a low speed, but if you use a higher speed it will whip too much air into the puree, which you don't want as it will lessen the flavour and the colour.  Add some cold water if the blender is having a hard time pureeing the mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to make the drinks.

To make the first two drinks, put half of the pureed mixture into a shaker (or any container with a tight lid), add 3 ounces of the gin and a few ice cubes, and shake until well mixed and cold.  Strain into 2 chilled glasses. Garnish with melon slices and run the remaining lemon along the edge of the glass for some additional citrus bite.  Repeat with the remaining melon puree and the last 3 ounces of gin for the second round.

Recipe Source: Old-School Comfort Food by Alex Guarnaschelli (Food Network Magazine)

 

One Year Ago:  Peach Bellinis