I was passing by a market that had some fruit on display outside. I was paying no attention to it, but something caught my eye. They had a box of mini round watermelons. They looked so cute, I had to have one. So, I picked one out and took it home. (I paid for it first, of course.)

When I cut it open, I discovered that it was a yellow watermelon. They hadn’t labeled it yellow—the sign only said “sweet.” I love finding yellow watermelons. They’re like yellow topazes, sparkling in the light.

Unfortunately, it was a lot prettier than it was tasty. They lied. It wasn’t sweet.

Now I had to find a way to enjoy this melon without resenting the money I paid for it.

So, I cut it up and put some booze in it. But not just any booze. I had this beautiful elderflower rum that I picked up at a farmers’ market in Vermont and it paired perfectly with the melon. Then I decided to mash it and make it into a slushy.

And that’s it. Take some watermelon and add some booze to it. It will work if the melon is sweet, not sweet, red, yellow, or whatever. Booze helps everything. And it can be any kind of booze. Rum works great, but you can add flavored vodka or a liqueur.

Here’s what you do:

3 cups diced watermelon
¼ cup rum (or other booze) –More, if you like

Place the watermelon in a bowl and pour the booze over it. Let it sit for an hour. If you want, mash it with a fork and make a slushy. That’s it. If you want to make it pretty, put some herbs on top, but that is entirely optional.

Makes 4 servings.