Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, creator of Frontera gourmet foods, cookbook author and host of Mexico - One Plate at a Time.

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RICKMAIL - sign up for our email list From the Kitchen of Chef Rick Bayless

Drinks

Watermelon Mojito

Mojito de Sandia

Recipe from "Fiesta at Rick's" cookbook

 

Makes 8 12-ounce drinks

Ingredients

8 large sprigs of fresh mint
4 cups cubed seedless watermelon—3/4-inch cubes are perfect here
1/2  cup Simple Syrup
Ice cubes (you’ll need about 2 quarts)
2 cups white rum (I like D’Aristi rum from Yucatan)
1/2 cup lime juice
Sparkling water or club soda

Directions

Set out 8 tall 12-ounce glasses.  Into each glass strip off the leaves from a single sprig of mint—you’ll need about 10 leaves for each drink—and top with 1/2 cup watermelon cubes.  Divide the Simple Syrup among the glasses (1 tablespoon - 1/2 ounce per glass).  Use a muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon or a long-handle ice tea spoon—though neither is anywhere near as effective) to crush the mint and watermelon, releasing their flavor into the syrup—the more muddling, the fuller the flavors.   Fill each glass with ice.  Measure in the rum (1/4 cup - 2 ounces per glass) and the lime juice (1 tablespoon - 1/2 ounce per glass).  Use a long-handle ice tea spoon to mix everything together.  Top off each glass with a little sparkling water or soda and you’re ready to serve.

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