Tag Archives: sensology

Summer is my favourite season and an Australian summer takes some beating.

I love the longer days and warm nights, the brilliant blue sky, the steady hum of happy insects in the garden, the endless drone of the cricket commentary on the radio and taking my kids to the beach. It’s a carefree and relaxed time of year, and my regular Summer menu — barbecues, salads, sorbets and juices — is suitably simple and unfussy.

So when Sensology challenged me to come up with a new recipe using Bacardi Rum for its recipe site I knew I wanted to create something stylish but simple. I wanted to make a cocktail people could throw together easily at the end of the day in a few minutes with ingredients often found in the fridge and pantry.

For me, mojitos are a perfect summer cocktail because the simple rum, lime and mint combination is so refreshing and clean tasting. During Summer I always have watermelon in my fridge — there’s nothing like a fat wedge of chilled melon to cool you down quickly — so I added watermelon to my recipe, along with blueberries for extra flavour and colour.

I love the pretty, gelato-esque colour of this drink. And the taste? Well, it’s Summer in a glass!

This Watermelon and Blueberry Mojitos would be perfect for pre-dinner drinks accompanied by some spiced nuts, or served at a Mexican-inspired feast or cocktail party accompanied by smoked salmon canapés and gourmet dips. But you could definitely serve it at a casual barbecue, too.

Try it yourself and let me know what you think. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Watermelon and Blueberry Mojitos

INGREDIENTS – COCKTAIL

• Watermelon (2kgs), skin removed and flesh diced to make approx. 1.2kgs cubes
• Bunch mint
• 1 x 125 gram punnet blueberries
• 3 limes (2 quartered + 1 sliced)
• 1 quantity sugar syrup – see recipe below
• 180 mls Bacardi Original Rum
• Ice
• 1 litre soda water, chilled

METHOD – COCKTAIL

1. Puree watermelon flesh in a blender and blend until liquid then strain through a sieve into a  jug to make approximately 4 cups (1,000 mls) watermelon juice. (If you’re in a hurry you can skip the sieving but it does result in a clearer looking mojito.)
2. Place a small handful of mint leaves and five blueberries in a tall (Collins) glass and squeeze over the juice from one lime quarter.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar syrup and then use a large wooden stick (the bottom of a wooden spoon for example) to ‘muddle’ or bash the mint, lime and syrup together.
4. Top with 5 tablespoons (75 mls) watermelon juice and add 45 mls Bacardi Original Rum.
5. Add ice and then fill glass with soda water.
6. Garnish with extra mint leaves, lime slices and extra blueberries.
7. Repeat for three other glasses.

INGREDIENTS – SUGAR SYRUP

• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1/4 cup water

METHOD – SUGAR SYRUP

1. In a small saucepan bring the sugar and water to a gentle simmer.
2. Stir until sugar has completely dissolved and then remove from heat and leave to cool.

NOTES

1. Makes 4 drinks. This recipe can easily be multiplied to make sufficient quantities for a cocktail party or barbecue.
2. I’ve specified a large amount of watermelon because it makes sense to have extra for seconds or additional guests (the amount of watermelon will make 12+ cocktails). So if you want to make 12 drinks keep the watermelon quantity as is and multiply the other ingredients by three.
3. Conversely, if you only want to make four drinks and don’t want extra watermelon juice, I would buy a 625 gram piece of watermelon to make 375 grams of watermelon cubes / 300 mls watermelon juice.
4. Do drink responsibly, won’t you?

More Drinks and Boozy Sorbet Recipes

• Raspberry Rose Gin and Tonic
• Mimosa Sorbet made with Blood Oranges
• Bellini Sorbet
• Watermelon Daiquiri
• Rosewater Cardamon Pistachio Lassi
• Sparkling Lemonade

Disclosure

This recipe and sponsored post were developed for Sensology. As always, all opinions are my own.

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In early 1999, I moved to London from Adelaide. I’d been working for a few years by then and I told my family and friends the move was necessary for a broader work and life experience. Secretly, I was really moving to meet boys, have fun and re-invent myself as a sophisticated global citizen. 

At the time, my CD collection (remember those?) was full of British indie pop and rock bands (Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Oasis, Blur, Pulp), my book shelves were groaning with British novels (Agatha Christie,  W. Somerset Maugham, Georgette Heyer), and I loved nothing better than watching quality British drama and comedy on the telly. So I was already half in love with England before I’d arrived.

It was when I was living in London that I discovered Gin & Tonics and G&Ts quickly become my signature drink. So when Sensology recently approached me to develop some new cocktail recipes for their recipe site I was delighted to find that the first recipe I’d be doing would be a re-imagined G&T with Bombay Sapphire. 

The original G&T — gin, tonic and a slice of fresh lemon or lime — is pretty close to perfection in my book, immediately evoking hot Summer days, and long and hilarious conversations with girlfriends. How could I top that?

Well, after much experimentation I’ve come up with this recipe –  Raspberry Rose Gin & Tonic.

Regular readers will know how much I love rosewater – it’s popped up before in this Rosewater, Cardamon and Pistachio Bundt Cake and this Rosewater, Cardamon and Pistachio Lassi. Well, rosewater is absolutely divine with fresh raspberries, too. One sip of this cocktail and I’m instantly in the mood for fun and frivolity.

This Raspberry Rose Gin and Tonic would be fantastic served with barbecued meat, fish or halloumi, or with my Lamb with Pomegranate, Mint, Broad Beans and Couscous.

Here’s to a great Summer – cheers!

Raspberry Rose Gin & Tonic

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 punnet raspberries (approximately 2/3 cup)
• 1/3 cup Bombay Sapphire gin (approximately 80 mls)
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons lime juice (approximately 1.5 limes, juiced)
• 1/4 teaspoon rosewater
• Crushed ice
• Tonic water
• 1/2 lime for garnishing
• 1 teaspoon dried rose petals (food grade, available at speciality food shops)

METHOD

1. Place first five ingredients into a jug and muddle (semi-crush) raspberries with the end of a wooden spoon. You can leave it to infuse for up to an hour but if you’re in a hurry, simply skip on to the next step.
2. Add spoonfuls of crushed ice to two tumblers (or highballs if you prefer more tonic water) and pour over berry mixture, diving equally.
3. Top with chilled tonic water, garnish with a lime slice and scatter over dried rose petals.

Serves 2. This recipe can easily be doubled or multiplied to whatever quantities you require.

Do drink responsibility, won’t you? 

Disclosure

This recipe and sponsored post were developed for Sensology. My recipe and photographs will also be licensed to the Sensology recipe site. As always, all opinions are my own.