Watermelon Limeade

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July! We spent the day with friends from Texas, alternating between the hot and sunny backyard and a cool spot on the couch next to the air conditioner.  We grilled, we brewed a batch of beer (a Hefeweizen), and we watched the fireworks on TV (and a few illegal ones in the park across the street).

For lunch, we went with the all-American combo of cheeseburgers and hot dogs served alongside corn with chili lime butter (I can't get enough of that stuff) and baked beans.  To wash it all down, I made a big pitcher of Watermelon Limeade, inspired by this recipe. It was tart and sweet and summery and refreshing. And turns out, it's also delicious when mixed with a little champagne!

Ingredients

~6 lb watermelon (yields ~ 4 3/4 cup juice)

1 cup lime juice (3-4 large limes)

1/4 cup simple syrup

Directions

Cube up the watermelon, and place in a blender. Blend until pureed. (Puree in batches if necessary.) 

Pour the watermelon puree through a fine metal strainer, and discard the strained pulp. 

In a pitcher, stir together the watermelon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.

Chill (overnight if possible), give it a quick stir before serving, and enjoy!