This creamy, fruity summer delight is the cocktail smoothie of your dreams.
About the cocktail
Whether you’ve travelled to Brazil or not, you’ve surely encountered the Caipirinha – arguably the southern hemisphere’s most delicious, no-muss, no-fuss cocktail. And if you know that zesty delight, then you’re familiar with the national spirit of Brazil, cachaça (pronounced cah-shah-sah). Here, we’re taking cachaça in a new direction with this fruity and irresistibly creamy Watermelon Batida. Batida (pronounced bah-chee-da) is up there with the Caipirinha and Rabo de Galo as one of Brazil’s most popular cocktails. While its essence is fruit juice, sugar and cachaça, this joyous watermelon number doubles down on the tropical vibes with evaporated milk, coconut water and agave syrup to bring a moreish, creamy sweetness to this sunny-day drink. This tasty twist is right on the money because in Portuguese, if you’re talking about drinks, and you know we are, Batida means ‘shaken’, or ‘milkshake’. These days, you can pick up a decent watermelon all year round, but they’re best in summer, which is perfect because the Watermelon Batida shines when the sun does. You can always buy a cut watermelon, but there’s nothing like cracking open a whole one, and for that you’ll want to enjoy the fruits of your cocktail shaker with a crowd. Can’t decide on a welcome drink for your backyard barbie? This is it. And if you need some tunes to go with your Watermelon Batida, throw on Os Mutantes self-titled debut album. This tropicália classic from 1968 is a sometimes raucous, sometimes whimsical psychedelic gem that includes covers of songs by Brazilian artists such as Jorge Ben and Gal Costa. Saúde!
Watch: How to make a Watermelon Batida
Ingredients
1 cup chopped fresh watermelon (about 100g or 10 cubes) 60mL cachaca 60mL evaporated milk 60mL coconut water 20mL agave syrup Glass: large milkshake glass or tall glass Garnish: watermelon slice
Method
Muddle watermelon in the bottom of a cocktail shaker Add remaining ingredients to the shaker Add a small amount of ice, and shake until the outside of the tin is frosty Strain into a glass over cubed ice Garnish with a slice of watermelon
Dan’s top tips
Did you know that watermelon is over 90% water? For this reason, if you have a selection of ice trays, we suggest straining the cocktail over a Collins spear ice. This long finger of ice will slow further dilution by lasting longer than a few regular cubes. If you don’t have cachaça and don’t want to buy any, you could experiment with a light white rum, vodka or tequila. In saying that, do remember that cachaça has a unique flavour, and any substitute will yield a different result. Your cocktail will technically no longer be a Batida, but it will still be delicious. Worried about leftover watermelon? May we interest you in using it in a Mojito, or maybe a Margarita? Drinks aside, just slice it into wedges, pile it on a plate and pass it around. Everyone loves a cool slice of watermelon.
image credits: Shelley Horan (photography), Raye Scerri (videography), Bridget Wald (styling), LSS (production)
