When life gives you leftover cantaloupe, make cocktails.  I know what you're thinking:  Leftover cantaloupe?!? Say whaa?!?  OK, let me clarify.  The other day I attempted to make baby food out of cantaloupe.  I was all like, I'm going to expand my baby's palate! and Why don't they make cantaloupe baby food? It's so delicious!  Um, yeah... I sort of failed to remember that melon is mostly water, therefore, a pureed melon is pretty much juice.  Total fail.  After promptly eating a big ol' piece of humble pie, I let Lucas try the new flavor and then began to think about what the heck I was going to do with all that leftover puree.  

Duh.  Cocktails!  

As of yet, I haven't had many outstanding melon cocktails in my life: a watermelon margarita here, a Midori sour there (gross), but not too many that really stood out from the crowd.  Surely there had to be a better option.  Let me be clear...I am NOT a mixologist, but I love a good mixed drink, so I got to work, with visions of prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe balls dancing my head. 

I twisted my husband's arm ever so slightly into trying these with me on a recent rainy afternoon.  After a few tweaks here and there, we finally got it right, and thankfully remembered to write the recipe down.  I love so many things about this drink: the gorgeous color, the drink-ability, but I especially love the sweetness of the cantaloupe paired with the salty prosciutto.  The fresh basil and lime add a refreshing touch, and the sparkling mineral water really lightens up the drink, making it a great choice for a special brunch, such as Mother's Day.  I mean, it's mostly cantaloupe, so it's practically breakfast anyway, right?

Cantaloupe-Basil Vodka Cocktails

Yield:  1 cocktail

Ingredients:

3-4 basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 fl oz vodka
1/2 cup pureed cantaloupe (very ripe)
3 T simple syrup (recipe below)
fresh lime wedges
splash of sparkling natural mineral water, such as S. Pellegrino or Perrier

Garnish:

Kosher salt or sugar, depending on your taste preference, for rimming the glass
cocktail skewers
fresh basil leaves
balls of cantaloupe
prosciutto
small mozzarella balls, like Ciliegine

Method:

• Cut a slit in the middle of a lime wedge and run it around the rim of a cocktail glass of your choice (I used an old fashioned glass), then turn upside down and dip the glass into a small plate of Kosher salt (or sugar, depending on your taste). 
• In bottom of cocktail shaker, muddle the basil leaves.
• Add the vodka, pureed cantaloupe, simple syrup, and fresh lime.
• Fill shaker almost full with ice, and shake vigorously for about 5 seconds. 
• Strain into prepared glass.
• Add crushed ice to almost fill the glass and a splash of sparkling mineral water.
• Garnish with skewers of prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella balls, melon balls, and fresh basil leaves (you can get creative here).

Simple Syrup: 

• In a small saucepan, add equal parts sugar and water and heat on medium just until sugar is dissolved.  Cool and store for several weeks.  

Tips:

• Some separation of the drink is normal and OK, just give it an occasional swirl with the garnish skewer to remix. 
• If you prefer a stronger drink, strain the cocktail into a martini glass, and skip the ice and sparkling mineral water.  
• Use very ripe, sweet cantaloupe if possible.  To pick out a good melon, look for one that smells fantastic and has a slightly peachy color around the stem. Avoid the ones that are still green around the stem area.