A Frosé-Adjacent Honeydew & Cucumber Quencher
The time is now.
The things that scream “summer” to me are:
The sun being up before 6am
Going for swims in an ocean or a lake
And sipping through a few glasses of this icy, fruity, more-quenching-than-boozy frozen drink over a hot summer afternoon of a long weekend
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may already be familiar with this drink. You don’t really need a recipe, but my usual method is to fill a blender pitcher with frozen cubes of watermelon, add a few splashes of gin, a few splashes of grapefruit juice, pour in enough rosé (or white wine, it doesn’t really matter) to cover the fruit by about two-thirds, then hit blend and serve.
That is what I call frosé.
I have my friend Blake Bachman to thank for introducing me to it. At that time, eight or so years ago, frosé was a study in extremes. Sweetened heavily but watered down; boozy but not at all about the wine.
Blake has a genius way with flavor and also with fresh, produce-forward drinks, and he cracked the frosé code as far as I’m concerned. The combination of frozen melon, which is sweet but mild and hydrating; a botanical splash of gin for depth; maybe a strip or two of his homegrown pink lemon or grapefruit zest; plus good rosé… it fully epitomizes summer for me. The best part is that it amplifies rather than subdues the wine.
My variation this year swaps honeydew for watermelon, and ups the quench with gently sweet and cooling cucumber, giving the drink an almost vegetal flavor. Without it being pink, I feel I can’t call it frosé. So “frozen wine cooler” it is.
If you haven’t given this summer treat try a try yet, make this the weekend to change that — and get a head start by putting your fruit in the freezer now.
Recent Recipes
Here’s a rundown of what’s been happening on the paid subscriber front — I’m so eager to share some peak-summer recipes in the coming weeks.
An Extremely Green Sandwich
Inspired by a sandwich called "The Al Green" at Small's Deli in Sydney, Australia, this is a sandwich for the sprouts lovers. One of the key components is a dense and thick kale-pepita pesto.
*The* Soba Salad Situation for the Summer
When the weather heats up, few things are as appealing as a cold noodle salad. This texture-forward one brilliantly straddles the savory-sweet divide, thanks to sweet, tangy little slivers of pickled apricots.
Tahini Tempeh with Broccoli
Another quick, high-protein skillet dinner, this tempeh dish borrows its flavor profile from sesame noodles, with pan-fried slabs of tempeh and meaty broccoli florets united with a rich and creamy tahini-peanut sauce.
A Miraculous Sicilian Soup of Beans and Celery
A classically simple soup that hails from Southern Italy via cookbook author and teacher Rosetta Costantino, this is comfort in a bowl and requires little more than a pound of beans and a head of celery.
A New, Higher Protein Zucchini Slice
If you know my recipe for Zucchini Slice in Snacks for Dinner, you might be interested in this higher-protein variation. It's similarly portable and inviting to eat, but opts for broccoli over zucchini.
Recipe Video
Honeydew-Cucumber Frozen Wine Cooler
Substitute cantaloupe, watermelon, or any other melon for the honeydew if you like.
For a nonalcoholic version, I’d add about a tablespoon of white balsamic or apple cider vinegar and increase the grapefruit juice, adding only as much as you need to get a blendable consistency.
Yield About 6 drinks | Prep & cook time 5 minutes (not including freezing time)
6 to 8 cups cubed honeydew, frozen until solid
2 persian cucumbers or 1 conventional cucumber, peeled if desired, cut into cubes and frozen until solid
About ½ cup grapefruit juice (from 1 grapefruit)
1 or 2 shots (3 to 6 tablespoons) gin or vodka
2 to 3 cups dry white wine or rosé
1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey, to taste (optional)
Combine the frozen melon, frozen cucumbers, grapefruit, and gin in a blender pitcher. Add wine until you reach about halfway up the fruit or, for a more liquid (rather than thick and spoonable) drink, about two-thirds up the fruit. I always prefer it without any sweetener, but if the fruit isn’t quite sweet enough for your liking, blend in agave or honey to taste. Once blended, divide between glasses and drink right away. Or, the mixture can go into a 9- by 13-inch pan and into the freezer. It won’t freeze solid because of the alcohol, but will become easy to scoop and serve.
Sounds like my dream drink.