La Rosalia – A Happy Marriage of Watermelon, Aperol and Basil

Call it a cooler.  Call it refreshing.  And call our weather hot, hot, hot.  For the last few days I have been looking for cool, but not too sweet drinks, and I came up with this one.  In our house watermelon defines summertime, and since it’s still watermelon season, I thought I would use it in a beverage.

I named this long drink after Santa Rosalia, the woman who saved Palermo from the Black Plague in 1624.  During Palermo’s  July Festino di Santa Rosalia watermelon jello is a popular treat.  (See my post on Gelatina di Melone.)  I figured I’d stick with reverence for la santuzza, as the Palermitani call her,  and name this drink after her.  The sweetness of the basil syrup is the perfect counterpoint for the bitter edge of the Aperol, Italy’s number one selling spirit, and the watermelon and club soda lighten the base – transforming it into a surprisingly refreshing, but very adult, afternoon libation.  Tip off your guests to what is in their glasses with a whimsical watermelon and basil garnish.

La Rosalia

makes 1

1/3 cup cubed watermelon (1/2 inch cubes)
1 ounce Aperol
1 ounce basil simple syrup (recipe follows)
club soda
ice

Place cubed watermelon in the bottom of a mixing glass, and muddle thoroughly.  Strain into a chilled 16 ounce glass.  Add Aperol and basil simple syrup.  Stir to combine.  Fill glass 2/3 full with ice.  Or if you prefer bits of watermelon in your drink, make the drink, start to finish, in your serving glass.  Top with club soda and garnish with a watermelon wedge and a sprig of basil.

Notes: If you have an ice crusher, this is the place to use it.  The soft ice you get is perfect in this long drink.

Basil Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is quick and easy to make and has many different uses in the kitchen or at the bar.  It can be plain, just sugar and water, or it can be flavored with anything from anise to vanilla, or as here, basil.  Plain, it is the ideal sweetener for cold drinks – no need to worry about your sugar not dissolving.  Mix it with spirits to moisten layers of cake.  To flavor simple syrup with herbs, add them at the beginning right along with the sugar and water.  If you are adding spirits or extract, do so after you remove the finished syrup from the flame.  Generously flavored with basil, this syrup is wonderful over fresh fruit or as a sweetening agent for lemonade or mixed drinks.

2 very generous cups basil leaves
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water

Place all ingredients in medium saucepan.  Heat over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture has come to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.  Mixture will be completely clear when sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Cool, strain and store in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.