Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Rinse both melons thoroughly under cool running water and pat them dry with paper towels to remove any dirt or debris from the rind.
- Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully cut each melon in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds with a sturdy spoon, leaving the flesh intact.
- Press your melon baller firmly into the cantaloupe flesh and rotate it in a complete circle, then twist and pull out the tool to release a perfect sphere. Repeat until you have about 16 to 20 melon balls from both melons combined, aiming for roughly equal amounts of each color.
- Cut the lime in half and juice it using a citrus juicer or by hand, squeezing the juice through a fine mesh strainer to catch any pulp or seeds. You should have about 2 tablespoons of fresh juice.
- In a small bowl or pitcher, combine the lime juice and honey, stirring until the honey dissolves completely. If the honey is thick or crystallized, warm it gently in the microwave for 10 seconds.
- Fill two tall glasses about halfway with ice cubes, dividing them evenly.
- If making an alcoholic version, pour 2 ounces of vodka or white rum into each glass. For a mocktail, skip this step.
- Pour 1 cup of sparkling water into each glass, then add half of the lime-honey mixture to each glass. Stir gently to combine all the flavors.
- Distribute the melon balls evenly between the two glasses, dropping them in gently so they float throughout. Top each glass with a few fresh mint leaves for garnish and serve immediately.
Notes
Choose ripe melons that feel heavy for their size and smell fragrant at the stem end. Make melon balls ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Chill glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes before serving to keep the drink colder longer. Try freezing some melon balls beforehand to use as ice cubes that won't dilute the drink. Nutrition information is for the non-alcoholic version; adding alcohol increases calories by approximately 65 per ounce of spirit.