I want to shout it from the rooftops: I love daiquiris!
Have you ever seen a more beautiful cocktail?
This cantaloupe daiquiri looks almost too perfect to be real.
And when I say real, I mean the classic daiquiri — the shaken, balanced cocktail, not the frozen sugary one we all remembered from the ’90s.
A few years back I made a grapefruit daiquiri that was incredible. Even if you’re not a grapefruit fanatic, that version can win you over.
Even though I’m starting to look forward to cooler-weather cocktails with apples and cinnamon, summer drinks still have my heart right now.
Thinking about fruits I hadn’t transformed into a cocktail yet, cantaloupe topped the list.
We eat cantaloupe constantly — I buy one nearly every week. It’s the perfect snack and much easier to prepare than a watermelon.
Until now, I’d only turned cantaloupe into a coconut-cantaloupe lassi and a spicy melon salsa.
That felt like a missed opportunity.
But that’s also an opportunity — a chance to make something simple and delicious with minimal ingredients.
Lime, rum, a touch of cherry juice — those flavors pair beautifully with cantaloupe.
Here’s the best part: the cantaloupe flavor in this drink is gentle. It’s subtly tart, almost creamy without any dairy, and carries a soft hint of melon that’s not overpowering — delicate, balanced, and very refreshing.
P.S. Can we talk about this color? It’s stunning — a bright, melon-orange that feels like summer in a glass. I want to wear it, paint with it, and serve it at every gathering.
Cantaloupe Daiquiris
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Ingredients
- 3 ounces fresh cantaloupe “juice” or puree
- 2 ounces white rum
- 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup
- 1 ounce maraschino cherry juice
- splash of lime juice
- splash of seltzer (optional)
Instructions
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To make cantaloupe “juice,” blend about 2 cups cubed cantaloupe until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
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Combine the rum, cantaloupe juice, simple syrup, maraschino cherry juice and a splash of lime in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled glass. Add a splash of seltzer for bubbles if you like. Garnish with a lime wedge or melon balls.
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For simple syrup: heat equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, then cool to room temperature.
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It’s more than just a serving of fruit — it’s summer in a glass.