Happy Friday, guys! Everyone had a good week? It’s still been super busy around here with baseball, and cub scouts, and everything else we have going on. But in all the rushing around the past few days, I did manage to squeak out a few minutes to come up with this week’s #CrushFridayVA recipe!

My youngest talked me into buying a watermelon at last week’s grocery store trip. So I went with that for this week!  It was okay, but not like the melons you’ll find locally in another couple of months. We only are about half of it, and I figured the other half would be perfect for a cocktail. I’ll tell you, this whole crush thing has been great for using up the rest of the fruit that’s still hanging out by the weekend!

This recipe couldn’t be easier, and one batch makes quite a few cocktails. Fruity and fresh, it really hits the spot on the porch at happy hour – especially now that it’s warming up. Speaking of happy hours on the porch, I’m hosting a cocktail crafting class at the Chincoteague Cultural Alliance next Friday. If you’re local (or in-town for the weekend!) and want to join us, you can sign up on their site. It’s going to be tons of fun.

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The Watermelon Crush

2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
1/4 cup sugar
2 limes, juiced
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup triple sec
1 cup sparkling water or lemon-lime soda
sliced watermelon, for garnish

Place watermelon and sugar in blender or food processor and blend, until watermelon is completely pureed and liquified.

Pour mixture into the bottom of a medium pitcher. Add in the lime juice, vodka, triple sec, and sparking water. Stir to combine.

Fill glasses with ice and pour cocktail over. Garnish glasses with a slices of watermelon.

Makes about 6 servings

It’s Friday, y’all! And, that means a new fruit crush cocktail here on Tide & Thyme. I’m lame and dropped the ball last week. Little league obligations + field trips + allergies ended up crushing my ass last week…so with all that, I was in no mood to crush a cocktail. Ya feel me?

But the sun has been shining this week, I’ve been cleaning and baking with the windows open. All my favorite spots are opening up their doors for the season here on the island. And *fingers crossed*, we’re hoping to get the boat wet this weekend! The flounders are biting, and I’m ready to start restocking the freezer.

Alas. summer isn’t quite in full bloom for another month or so. And, fruit isn’t available from any of my favorite local farms just yet. Luckily, a halfway decent canteloupe is available pretty much all year at the grocery store. So, I decided to throw that under the bus for the crush this week!

The orange color is just lovely, and the melon flavor and sweetness is on point. So, what are you waiting for? It’s 5 o’clock somewhere! Get out there and crush the weekend, guys.

The Canteloupe Crush

2 cups canteloupe, diced
3 Tbsp sugar
1 orange, juiced
1/2 cup vodka
1/3 cup triple sec
1/2 cup sparkling water or lemon-lime soda
sliced canteloupe, for garnish

Blend canteloupe and sugar in a food processor or blender until completely pureed. We’re talking liquified.

Pour mixture into the bottom of a quart mason jar. Add in the orange juice, vodka, triple sec, and sparking water. Shake to combine.

Fill glasses with ice and pour cocktail over. Garnish glass with a slice of canteloupe.

Makes about 3-4 servings.

I’m delighted to report that my obsession with the marriage of coconut and lime has continued. I’ve been enjoying the zingy combination in these coconut macaroons forever now, have been thinking about translating it into a cocktail form.

Virginia Tourism is currently running a #CrushFridayVA campaign, encouraging people to actually use their vacation days, and get out there to enjoy everything our beautiful state has to offer. But, being the lush that I am, my mind immediately went to the libation when I saw the hashtag.

And in all honesty, what better way to crush Friday then by enjoying a cocktail on my front porch here on this perfect little island that I call home? So, I’ve decided to make sharing a new crush recipe on Friday a weekly thing over the next couple of months here on Tide & Thyme, or until the various crushable fruits run out at least!

Now, I’ve turned many random fruits into margaritas in the past, but by swapping out tequila for vodka – well…by golly then you’ve got a crush on your hands. And, besides the usual suspects of orange and grapefruit, is pretty much uncharted territory here on the blog. Which frankly, is pretty damn lame…

Anywho, I figured a Coconut Lime Crush would be an ideal first candidate. Rich and sweet Cream of Coconut acts as the base, along with fresh lime juice. A generous splash of vodka and triple sec, then topped off with some sparkling water. It’s a light and refreshing cocktail that is perfect for springtime sipping. Get out there and get your crush on y’all!

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Coconut Lime Crush

1/2 cup cream of coconut (find in the cocktail mixers aisle)
2 limes, juiced
1/3 cup vodka
1/4 cup triple sec
sparkling water
ice
lime wedges, garnish
shaved coconut, garnish

Fill two glasses with ice and set aside.

Combine cream of coconut, lime juice, vodka, and triple sec into a mason jar. Shake well to combine.

Fill glasses 3/4 of the way full, topping off glasses with the sparkling water. Gently stir, and garnish with a slice of lime and some coconut shavings on top before serving.