Cantaloupe Mint Zero Proof Highball

Cantaloupe is at its best for about four days a year. When it hits, the flesh is perfumed and almost floral, and it makes a drink base that no syrup can imitate.

The work here is in the straining. Muddled melon is pulpy, and a fine strain is what separates a clean, aromatic highball from a glass of thick juice. The sparkling mineral water then stretches it into something genuinely refreshing.

The Recipe

Makes 1 · 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh cantaloupe chunks
• 6 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1 bottle (12 fl oz) Tehuacan Brillante sparkling mineral water
• Ice cubes
• 1 mint sprig, for garnish

Method

1. Place cantaloupe chunks and mint leaves into a cocktail shaker.
2. Muddle the melon and mint until fully crushed and juicy.
3. Add the fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and a small handful of ice.
4. Shake well to chill the mixture.
5. Fine strain the liquid into a tall highball glass filled with fresh ice.
6. Top with Tehuacan Brillante sparkling mineral water and stir gently to combine.
7. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

Notes

Fine strain means pouring through a small mesh sieve as you go from shaker to glass. It takes an extra five seconds and it is the difference between this drink and a smoothie.

Muddle mint gently. Bruise it to release the oil; grind it and you extract chlorophyll, which tastes like cut grass.

A melon that is not ready will not be fixed by simple syrup. If it does not smell like anything at the stem end, wait a day.

Tehuacán Brillante is sparkling mineral water from the Tehuacán Valley in Puebla, naturally mineralized on a journey of roughly eight years through volcanic rock. Family run since 1983, Mexican owned, bottled in 12 fl oz glass. Find us at @drinktehuacan.