In their book Prairie: Seasonal, Farm-Fresh Recipes Celebrating the Canadian Prairies, food journalists Dan Clapson and Twyla Campbell share recipes sourced from notable chefs in the Prairie provinces – as well as a few of their own favourites. This recipe is Campbell’s, and was inspired by a Harry Styles song – you can probably guess which one. “’Watermelon Sugar’ is my 2020–2023 song because I pretty much listened to Harry Styles non-stop,” Campbell shares. “He (and his former bandmates) kept me moving forward, or you could say, in the ‘one direction’ I needed. To honour Mr. Styles, I created this summery cocktail, Watermelon Sugar, named for the catchy track on his album Fine Line. This cocktail is pure Harry Styles: good-looking, slightly unconventional, a little sweet and a little spicy.”
In keeping with the “Canadian prairie” theme, Campbell likes to use a range of locally-sourced beverages. “Anohka gin, an award-winning London dry-style gin from Alberta, takes the lead as a nod to Harry’s UK roots, while Field Notes’ Don’t Call Me Sweet Pea Garden Amaro, a delicious Alberta spirit made from distilled field peas, is added for balance,” she writes. “An Italian amaro like Montenegro makes a good stand-in if you can’t find the Alberta product.”
![Two glasses with a cocktail and slices of watermelon behind it](https://ellegourmet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/watermelon-gin-cocktail-1-480x480.jpg)
Watermelon Gin Cocktail
Ingredients
- pink sugar for rim
- flaked salt for rim
- 1 lime wedge for rim
- 2 cups 2-inch cubed fresh watermelon
- ½ cup loosely packed whole Thai basil leaves
- 1½ oz London dry-style gin see note
- ½ oz mellow amaro see note
- 1 tsp chili-infused honey I use Hive Gourmet’s Hive on Fire
- juice of ½ lime
- 2 oz rosewater
Instructions
- Mix the sugar and salt in a shallow dish and set aside. Wet the rim of a rocks glass with the lime and dip it into the sugar-salt mix.
- Muddle the watermelon with the Thai basil in a cocktail shaker. Add the gin, amaro, honey, lime juice and rosewater, add ice and shake for 30 seconds. Add fresh ice to a rocks glass and strain the cocktail into the glass.
More prairie recipes from Dan Clapson & Twyla Campbell
Spatchcocked Paprika Chicken With Savoy Cabbage & Carrots
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Raspberry Clafoutis
A recipe for a classic French dessert using seasonal Prairie ingredients, created by Dan Clapson and Twyla Campbell.
Get the recipe
![A yellow cake with raspberries on a white linoleum background](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20150%20150'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![A yellow cake with raspberries on a white linoleum background](https://ellegourmet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/raspberry-clafoutis-prairie-480x480.jpg)