This is the Perfect Summer Cocktail

Have you heard? The country is going through an insane heat wave right now, with temps in many places reaching well over 100 degrees. Of course you’ve heard. Even if you don’t watch the news, read the paper, or bother with your weather app, you can’t possibly miss the annoying number of Facebook photos of temperature gauges in people’s vehicles (they just wanted to make sure you know it’s hot outside) and the, “Boy it’s hot out here,” that everyone says 100 times a day. It’s summer; it’s supposed to be hot, though I wouldn’t hate it if someone dialed down the heat just a little. Since I can’t wave my magic wand and cool it off (or make it football season), I’ll just give you a recipe for a cold, delicious, low-cal cocktail you can make and drink right this second: Watermelon Mint Cooler.

Mash up a watermelon in your blender – or with a spoon or fork or muddler.

Fill a shaker with ice and add a shot of plain vodka to the shaker. Don’t shake just yet; it gets much better than shaken vodka. Add your watermelon juice and pulp to the shaker. Now you may shake it up all you want. Since it’s hot you might want to shake it for a quick second and get right to drinking, or you might want to use this opportunity to burn a few extra calories and do a little dance around your kitchen while you shake your cocktail.

Pour your shaken cocktail into a glass – the taller the better – and garnish it with a few fresh mint leaves. Five mint leaves is good, but if you don’t have mint you can substitute it for basil, which works just as well and makes for a delicious drink. Pick up your glass and have a cocktail.