DIY: Watermelon Keg

There are few things that scream “It’s summer!” more than a big, juicy watermelon and an ice cold beverage. So, we thought, – why not combine the two for the ultimate warm-weather mashup?! And since you know you’re friends are all going to want to get in on the action as well, we thought we’d make a lot of it. And since no one wants to waste time washing out a punch bowl that, let’s face it, doesn’t fit in your dishwasher anyway – scrape out that watermelon and make a keg out of it. But no judgment here if that tap only flows into your cup all night.

 

 

FOR THE KEG
A large, seedless watermelon with one flat side (you want it to be able to sit on a table on its own)
A knife
A hose cock
½” brass tap, with coupling
An ice cream scooper
A large bowl
Blender
Strainer
FOR THE DRINK
Juice from watermelon
1 bottle dry sparkling wine
4 oz fresh lemon juice
Muddled mint, to taste

 

CUT off one end of the watermelon. This will be the lid of your keg.

SCOOP out the fruit, and reserve in a large bowl. Make sure to scrape the inner walls of your watermelon as well, in order to ensure that no leftovers get caught in the flowing tap later on.

MARK the location of your tap. Place the end of your coupling on the surface of the watermelon where your tap will go. Use a pen to mark the diameter of the coupling. Then, carve a hole just inside the markings you made so that the hole is slightly smaller than the diameter of the coupling, ensuring a tight fit.

COMBINE spigot and couplings and put into the hole. Assemble your tap, and gently push into the watermelon. Try slowly screwing it in for extra-liquid tightness.

SCREW the plastic nut onto the coupling on the inside of watermelon. This will help seal the hole and keep your tap clamped on. Your keg is done! Set it aside.

BLEND scoops of removed watermelon in small batches so it is well puréed.

STRAIN the purée through a fine mesh strainer, reserving only the strained liquid.

POUR the strained watermelon juice back into the bowl. Add the sparkling wine, lemon juice and mint. Stir to combine.

FILL your watermelon up with your drink slowly to ensure there are no leaks.

POUR yourself a drink and party on.

 

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