Beverages

Mediterranean

Honeydew Spritzers

Chilled honeydew is puréed with lemon and orange-flower water, then cut with sparkling water and mint for a very green, very refreshing spritzer.

What It Is

Chilled honeydew is puréed with lemon and orange-flower water, then cut with sparkling water and mint for a very green, very refreshing spritzer.

Origin

This is my mediterranean-leaning version, built around the ingredients and method that give the recipe its character.

Fun Fact

Orange-flower water is intensely aromatic. Measure it, because 'a casual splash' can turn melon into eau de hand soap.

Prep

20 min

Cook

—

Total

20 min

Servings

8 glass

(a generous estimate, much like most cookbook authors)

Difficulty

easy

Diet

Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free

Away Mission

170 min walk

(about one moderately tense turbolift ride)

#beverages #honeydew-spritzers #mediterranean #spoon-and-scribble

Ingredients

1 honeydew melon
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
¾ tsp orange-flower water
1 litre sparkling water
8 mint sprigs

Steps

Peel, seed, chop and chill the honeydew.
Purée the melon with water, then strain.
Stir in sugar, lemon juice and orange-flower water. Fill glasses with ice, add equal parts melon purée and sparkling water, and garnish with bruised mint.

Notes

Taste before the final adjustment. A recipe should guide dinner, not bully it. If it needs a little more acid, sweetness, salt or heat, make the change in small steps instead of launching the whole spice rack into orbit.

Nutrition Facts

Per 1 glass

Calories 770

Burning this off: roughly one intense session of Zamboni driving.

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.0 g 0%

Saturated + Trans 0 g 0%

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 10 mg 0%

Carbohydrate 205.0 g

Fibre 1.0 g 4%

Sugars 201.0 g 201%**

Protein 1.5 g

Potassium 390 mg 8%

Calcium 30 mg 2%

Iron 1.1 mg 6%

*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.

**This dish means well. Some numbers above are having a bit of a moment. Delicious? Absolutely. A daily habit? Let's not. Eat it, enjoy it, then maybe take the stairs.

Substitutions

Use equivalent ingredients where needed for allergies or availability, but keep the main sweet/sour/salty/spicy balance intact. This is cooking, not a hostage negotiation.

Storage

Keep covered and chilled. Fresh-fruit or dairy drinks are best used within 1–2 days; fizzy drinks are happiest served the same day before the bubbles file for retirement.

Freezing

Freeze still fruit bases or concentrates if useful, but add carbonation after thawing. Dairy-heavy drinks are better made fresh.