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Bright, bold and extra summery, this rockmelon cocktail is made for right now.
About the cocktail
Watermelon has been hogging the spotlight for far too long. Let the other melons stretch their rinds, we say, because rockmelon is the money melon. And there’s no one better to let that underrated fruit shine than rockstar bartender Andie Bulley. This brilliant cocktail guru has been running Sydney fave The Waratah in Darlinghurst for a while now, shaking up drinks that are complex without being the least bit full of themselves. Andie stumbled into hospitality as a uni side hustle, promptly fell head over heels for the craft, and the rest, as they say, shook itself into place. So, what does Andie do when handed the world’s most underrated melon? She loads up Pepino’s Gun – a bright, sippable blend of rockmelon, cucumber, sugar, lemon and tequila. “It’s got this fresh melon sweetness, clean cucumber brightness, lifted with citrus and a saline backbone,” explains Andie. “It’s refreshing but still has weight on the palate.” Sounds like a perfect Aussie summer drink to us. “It's a very seasonal drink,” Andie says. “I went to the markets, saw rockmelon and cucumbers overflowing, and thought why not let them have their moment?” Finally, rockmelon gets its time to shine and Andie is fully on board. “Rockmelon is not as sugary or obvious as watermelon. It has this perfumed, honeyed flavour that adds body without heaviness.” In terms of form, this neat cocktail sits between a Margarita and a Smash on the cocktail family tree. “It’s light, fruity, hydrating, but still punchy.” So, why call it Pepino’s Gun? “Pepino is Spanish for cucumber, and the ‘gun’ is a nod to how direct and sharp the drink feels when it hits,” Andie explains. Think cucumber with a cheeky right hook. Keen to give Pepino’s Gun a shot (wink wink)? Read over Andie’s top tips below.
Watch: How to make a Pepino’s Gun
Ingredients
2 slices of cucumber 40mL 1800 Tequila Blanco 20mL rockmelon juice 15mL lemon juice 15mL sugar syrup (or 1 bar spoon of sugar) Glass: tumbler Garnish: cucumber slice or ribbon
Method
Add cucumber slices to your mixing tin and gently muddle Add your tequila, rockmelon juice, lemon juice and sugar syrup to the tin Fill the tin with ice and shake hard Double strain into a rocks glass over fresh cubed ice Garnish with a cucumber slice or ribbon
Andie’s top tips
If you’ve been here before, you’ll already know our mantra: fresh is always best. It makes the cocktail bright and clean. But did you know it’s important to taste-test the ingredients as you go as well? If you didn’t, no shame – it’s practically a rite of passage. “In the same way you can bite into two separate strawberries and get a really sweet one versus really sour, it’s the same with every fruit,” Andie explains. “When making cocktails, always try your fruit and taste your drink along the way to test for balance when using fresh produce.” If you don’t own a juicer, you can make rockmelon juice in a blender – just chop your fresh fruit and blitz it up. If you find it’s a little thick or pulpy, put it through a strainer to extract the juice. The last little hack from our resident cocktail guru? “Try serving this on a bigger cube to keep it colder and fresher for longer.” And wrap it all up with some Anderson Paac (specifically ‘Come Down’ – a banger) and serve it next to something fatty, salty and Spanish. Andie’s pick? “Jamón and scallops.”
