I did a double take when I first saw him. At first I noticed his long-sleeved collared shirt, buttoned up to his neck and down to the wrist on each arm - not that unusual except for the lack of any ironed surface whatsoever. But then I noticed his lower half. Bottoming off his ensemble was a pair of faded blue swimming trunks, complete with white socks and black dress shoes. It appeared as if he was unable to decide whether he was going to a pool party or a fine dining establishment.

Late summer to early fall is always a confusing time for Northern Californians. Summer is officially over - the calendar says that it ended at 9:18 p.m. Sept. 22 - but a stroll through the grocery store or the farmers market and one will be greeted with a wealth of fresh, ripe summer fruits and vegetables. Not to mention upwards of 100-degree weather.

But soon, we will say goodbye to the tomato, the orange and, most regrettably perhaps, the watermelon - at least in their ripe, local and delicious form.

The watermelon has only recently made its splash on the cocktail scene, at least in its natural state. In the late 1980s watermelon shooters were all the rage following in the footsteps of the Alabama Slammer, the Sex on the Beach and a whole host of super-sweet concoctions made with an ever-expanding variety of schnapps. The version I made in abundance (at a place where I bartended in shorts and sunglasses) used Southern Comfort, sloe gin, pineapple juice, cranberry juice and

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sweet-and-sour mix, which certainly served to put the naseum in ad naseum.

Eventually Pucker introduced a watermelon schnapps, which, while making my job easier, made for truly odd tasting watermelon drinks. Artificial watermelon (C73423 according to the FDA) has one of those unusual flavors that, like artificial banana, doesn't taste anything like the real thing. Perhaps it's the propylene glycol (a type of antifreeze) or the red dyes No. 3 and No. 40.

Luckily today there are plenty of real watermelons available. The watermelon itself has been around for a long time. Thought to have originated near the Kalahari Desert in south-central Africa, watermelon harvests were recorded by the ancient Egyptians nearly 5,000 years ago. From there they spread east to Asia (China is the largest producer of watermelons today) and eventually found their way to Europe.

Watermelons are produced in 44 states, with Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona leading the way. There are many varieties, each differing in sweetness, size and color. One of my favorites is the yellow crimson watermelon, which has yellow-colored flesh. It is often described as sweeter and more honey flavored than the commonly seen red-fleshed watermelon. Thanks to this sweetness and its unusual color, the yellow crimson makes truly wonderful cocktails.

When selecting watermelons there are some simple rules in order to find a ripe, nonmealy melon.

- Thump them. If the melon sounds hollow it is usually ripe. An unripe melon will have a tighter, ringing sound.

- Observe the color on the top. A ripe melon has very little contrast between the stripes.

- Look for the discolored spot where the melon sat on the ground. A lighter yellowish-colored spot will indicate ripeness while a white or green spot indicates immaturity.

- Ask your grocer to cut one open for you to taste. Most high-end grocery stores will happily do this for you. If they won't, find yourself another store.

Armed with this knowledge you can now don your summer best and head out to your local bar in order to sample its fresh watermelon concoctions, or make one yourself. At least until winter comes, then the only things we will have are cold weather, 1980s nostalgia and artificial flavoring C73423.

 

RECIPE

Jeff's late summer/early fall golden watermelon margarita

1 ounce reposado tequila

1 ounce triple sec

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1 ounce watermelon puree (see note)

1 watermelon wedge

1 lime wedge

 

Combine first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine, pour entire mixture into a serving glass. Garnish with lime wedge and watermelon wedge.

Sip while standing under your market umbrella in the rain being sure not to spill on your long-sleeved shirt or your swimming trunks.

Note: To make the puree, cut watermelon into quarters, then cut crosswise into wedges for garnish, set aside. Remove remaining yellow flesh from rind with a knife. Blend flesh quickly in an electric blender, then press pulp through a coarse colander to remove seeds. Refrigerate and stir before using. Lasts one day.

 

Jeff Burkhart is an award-winning bartender at a Marin bar/restaurant and an author. His columns appear weekly in Here. Contact him at jeffb@thebarflyonline.com.