Aguas Frescas

The weather seems to have been nice so far, so with fingers crossed, Keepitcoming Love and I switched out our soups and gnocchis and brought out our summer menu- pizza, burgers, turkey dogs, and chicken salad, with more to come. We've added a new drink to our ever-expanding repertoire, and that drink may very well have a permanent place in our menus yet to come. That drink is the agua fresca- the best of juice, the best of fruit, and the best of hot, sticky summer nights. Behold.With a lethal slug of booze and the very essence of fruit, this is the closest embodiment of sucking the nectar out of a fruit rind as you'll get. Three to four ingredients, two if you're under 21, and an infinite number of possibilities. For our first two (expect more) we tried watermelon lime and cantaloupe basil. The watermelon was utterly quenching, lacking the pulpiness regular watermelon has but with an earthy sweetness to its flavor and a sour edge from the lime. The cantaloupe was our favorite, looking a little anemic and more like iced tea, but with a powerfully herbaceous flavor and sweet, melony satisfaction.
Watermelon Lime Agua Fresca
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
1/4 watermelon or 4 cups of watermelon cubes
1 tablespoon of lime juice
3 cups of water
Vodka to taste

1. Chop watermelon. Throw all ingredients in blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Place a strainer or cheesecloth over a large pitcher, preferably one you're not going to serve in, and slowly pour in the agua fresca, continuing until all the pulp is strained out of the drink.
4. Drink with ice and a smile.Cantaloupe Basil Agua Fresca
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
1 small cantaloupe, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped basil
3 cups of cold water
Vodka to taste

1. Deseed and chop cantaloupe. Throw all ingredients in blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Place a strainer or cheesecloth over a large pitcher, preferably one you're not going to serve in, and slowly pour in the agua fresca, continuing until all the pulp is strained out of the drink.
4. Drink with ice and a smile.With a rainbow of colors and flavors, what's not to love? If it's not quite spring yet where you live, try it out anyway- it's a little hint of what's to come.