It’s hard to beat a cold watermelon on a hot summer’s day, but we think a watermelon keg full of your favorite summer drink might just beat out that cool slice. Anyone with basic pumpkin carving skills, a beverage dispenser spigot and a big spoon can make this simple summer treat.
In Advance
You’ll want to buy a reusable spigot in advance. Then choose a ripe watermelon. If the underside, called the field spot, is yellow, chances are good that it was left on the vine to ripen and will be a sweet one!
Watermelon Keg Steps
Cut off the top and hollow out the inside flesh, reserving it for your recipe. You can use a long-handled spoon, scraping the sides as you go, or you can attach a single beater to your hand mixer and make fast work of macerating the flesh, then pour it into a large container and reserve.
Use an apple corer to bore a hole in the melon and insert your tap near the bottom of the fruit. Take the watermelon you scooped out and liquify it in a blender or with a hand mixer (if you didn’t do this already). Pour it through a sieve and into your watermelon keg, along with some ginger ale, lemonade or other favorite mixer. The sky’s the limit for combinations of flavor profiles. Experiment! Add some fresh mint or your favorite adult beverage.
Tip
Slice a small part of the bottom off to help the watermelon stand up straight. Place it on an overturned pot to raise it up or place it on the edge of a table.
This article, written by Kim Foley MacKinnon, first appeared in the summer 2022 issue of Girl Camper Magazine. For more great content like this, subscribe today!
