We can’t get enough of watermelon in our house. The crunchy refreshing taste and beautiful red flesh is the complete package. We buy two whole watermelon each week just to tame our appetites. But what happens when you cut into a watermelon and discover that you picked a dud? Instead of bright red, you’re met with a dull pink. Well you get creative….Since there’s nothing more important in these hot summer months than staying hydrated, a watermelon drink sure would hit the spot. And so I present to you this classic Korean drink, Watermelon Soju. Icy cold, refreshingly sweet, and just enough boozy kick to make you forget how sweltering it is outside. This recipe is so simple, and as an added bonus you can turn the leftover watermelon rind into this delicious kimchi.

Soju/Shochu

Soju is Korea’s most popular spirit. It is the center of their rather robust drinking culture. Soju was traditionally made from rice, but now is frequently made with sweet potato, barley, buckwheat, wheat, or any combination of these ingredients. It is distilled like vodka and has a similar neutral flavor. Soju can be found at most well stocked liquor stores or online. If you see shochu at the store, you can go ahead and get that instead.

Japanese shochu is a similar distilled spirit and probably came to Japan from Korea, which already had soju in production starting in the 13th century. The origin of the names is the same for both languages. ‘So’/’Sho’ means burned to reference the distilling process and ‘ju’/’chu’ means alcohol. Although there are some distinctions between the two, with shochu having more strict rules on production and allowances for additives, mass produced soju and shochu can be used interchangeably. Since we’re using the soju/shochu in a blended drink, use a budget minded brand. A high quality, hand crafted spirit would be delicious too, but a bit of a waste.

Finally, most sojus are light with a low alcohol content while shochus tend to be purer and also higher in alcohol. Depending on the brand, the alcohol content can range from similar to wine’s to almost 3 times as much! Just keep that in mind when choosing your bottle.

Making Watermelon Soju

This recipe is a breeze to make. I start by cutting up the watermelon. Like I mentioned earlier, this is a great time to use less than prime fruit. Whether it’s a disappointment you purchased, fruit that’s out of season, or maybe something sitting in the fridge just a wee bit too long, this drink will put the zip back into that fruit.

Cut the fruit up and then store it in a container or ziptop bag in the freezer for at least 2 hours until it’s frozen.

While the watermelon is in the freezer, we are going to make a simple syrup. (Any leftover syrup is excellent in iced coffee, thai tea, really any cold beverage that could use a little sweetness.)

Let the syrup cool to room temperature. And once the watermelon is frozen, it’s time to make the Watermelon Soju!

Repeat with the rest of the watermelon and your cooling, slushy, summer delight is ready! Garnish with some mint and a wedge of lime. A pitcher of Watermelon Soju is just the perfect afternoon pick me up for a hot day: cold, refreshing, with a touch of sweetness and alcohol. But if you do want some food to serve with Watermelon Soju, this kimchi pancake or some salt baked shrimp would keep the summer vibes going.

I hope this Watermelon Soju cools you down and keeps you hydrated all summer long. Take a moment and tell me what you think by rating and commenting on the recipe below. And show off your gorgeous drinks by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!

Watermelon Soju

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus freezing time)
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 drinks 1x
• Category: beverages
• Cuisine: Korean

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¼ whole watermelon, about 3 pounds
• 1 cup soju 
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water

Garnish:

• Lime slices/wedges
• Sprigs of mint

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Instructions

1. Dice the watermelon into 1 inch cubes. You should yield about 2 ½ pounds. Use the rind for another purpose or discard.
2. Freeze the watermelon until frozen, about 2 hours. 
3. In the meantime, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved completely. Set aside to cool.
4. Add half of the frozen watermelon, ½ cup of soju, and a couple tablespoons of the simple syrup. Blend until smooth. Repeat with a second batch.
5. Serve watermelon soju immediately with your garnishes.

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Keywords: summer, soju, korean, cocktails, drinks, watermelon

Mango Lassis are one of the best ways I know to cool down on a hot day. Mango based drinks are very popular in Miami, since they are literally falling off trees all over the city at this time of year. It isn’t unusual to see generous residents leave baskets full of ripe mangos outside their home for passersby. For my Mango Lassi version, I go even more Miami and give them the mojito treatment. It’s amazing how much more refreshing lassis are with a handful of mint. If you’re in a sweltering city this week, take 5 minutes and whip up these Mango Lassi; you’ll be glad you did!

South Florida Mango Madness

We are lucky during mango season to have access to the best mangos around. Our friends at LNB Grovestand are well known throughout South Florida for all of their amazing tropical fruits-you can find them at farmers markets all over the city. And for many years, my husband participated in the Mango Festival at Fairchild Tropical Garden, which has a full weekend devoted to all things mango, including a mind blowing mango auction. Needless to say, we are very fortunate to have access to amazing mangos all summer long.

But when mangos aren’t in season, I usually rely on the canned kesar mango pulp imported from India, which you can find in most well stocked Asian markets. This is a type of mango that is exclusively grown in India, and is extremely sweet and incredibly fragrant. We use it for all mango flavored items at the restaurant and we love the consistency, flavor, and ease of this product. Just know that it’s already sweetened so you may need to decrease the amount of sugar used in the recipe.

I also really like Honey Mangos which are available regularly in grocery stores: they have a luscious texture with no fibrous threads and a bright sweet flavor. If you are using fresh mango, make sure to taste it first and sweeten accordingly.

As for frozen mangoes, I find the quality to be very uneven. Many times they have almost no flavor plus a tannic unripe taste. But if you have a reliable brand, it would work great here.

Blending the Lassis

Making Mango Lassi takes just 5 minutes! Prep the mango, juice the lime, measure out the yogurt, and strip the leaves from the mint. Then just blend it all up with some ice and you have a delicious Mango Lassi, which makes a perfect portable breakfast! (if you would like to make vegan mango lassis, just use vegan yogurt)

And with that, your Mango Lassis are ready!

These Mango Lassis are a healthy treat sure to help you cool down all summer. Make a batch tonight and see everyone’s smiles when they take a sip. For an easy, no cooking required summer meal pair them with Sardine Salad. Take a second to rate and comment on the recipe below, we love hearing from you. And show off your Mango Lassis by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen!

Mango Lassi

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: beverage
• Cuisine: Pan-Asian

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups mango chunks
• 1 ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• Juice of one lime 
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 sprigs mint
• 1 cup ice

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Instructions

1. Strip the leaves from the mint stems and discard the stems.
2. Put the mango, yogurt, lime juice, mint leaves, and sugar into the blender. 
3. Blend the mixture on high for 1 minute. 
4. Add the ice and blend for another minute. 
5. Pour the lassi into 4 glasses and serve.

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Keywords: drinks