Cucurbit Cooler

Ingredients

for the drink

• 1 tablespoon grated Japanese or English cucumber
  
• 1 tablespoon watermelon (I scooped it right out)
  
• 2 tablespoons lime-citrus-cilantro syrup (recipe below)
  
• 1 1/2 -2 ounces vodka
  
• 11/2 teaspoon lime juice (I used 1 juicy wedge of a Tahitian lime)
  
• 1 ounce sparkling water
  

for the lime-citrus-cilantro syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 2 long peels of lime (from the circumference of a larger variety such as Tahitian)
  
• 1/4 cup fresh tangerine or Clementine juice
  
• 1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
  

Directions

for the drink

1. Add grated cucumber and scoop of watermelon to an old-fashioned glass. Gently smush watermelon into cucumber with a pestle, and add ice cubes to glass. Add syrup, vodka, lime juice and top with soda. Stir to combine. Enjoy! Note: If you like your poolside cocktails to be deliciously sneaky, go with 1 1/2 ounces of vodka. If you like to know you are drinking something delicious but sneaky, go with 2 ounces.

for the lime-citrus-cilantro syrup

1. Combine sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. When sugar has dissolved, add lime peel and tangerine juice. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 20 minutes. Add cilantro and boil for 1 minute. Strain mixture through a sieve into a wide glass container to remove solids. Transfer to a glass container with an airtight lid. Allow mixture to cool slightly, cover and refrigerate until cold, preferably overnight.