We had the best cocktails at the beach a few weekends ago and I wanted to make them again this past weekend to have with some friends that were coming over. Once again, the head of catering at Brix Wine Shop and a great friend of mine, Emily, never fails in this department. Thank goodness she let’s me use some of her wonderful cocktail ideas! Stop by Brix and she might even share some more of her yummy recipes. Here is one of my favorites!

Rose Sangria

1 bottle Rose
1 bottle sparkling wine
Watermelon, cubed
Strawberries, sliced
Mint leaves
Sweetener (Sugar/Splenda/Stevia)
Seltzer (optional)

Mix rose with some of the fruit and mint and let sit overnight to infuse flavor. Strain out fruit/mint when ready to serve. Sweeten to taste. (Note: real sugar won’t dissolve well, so make simple syrup if using sugar, see below). Add fresh fruit, mint, and chilled sparkling wine. Add a few splashes of seltzer for more bubbles.

And, we also made this fun Watermelon Jell-O Shots! They were super easy to make and very festive!

Watermelon Jell-O Shots

Recipe by Christine Byrne
Makes about 30 wedge shots
Ingredients
1 12–16 pound watermelon
4 cups vodka
4 3-ounce boxes red Jell-O mix
2 1-ounce boxes unflavored gelatin
Preparation
1. Using a large chef’s knife, cut the watermelon into two equal halves, lengthwise.
2. Use your knife to slice all the way around the perimeter of the watermelon flesh, about an inch from the rind. Be careful not to pierce through the skin, as this will lead to your Jell-O leaking out. Then use a kitchen spoon to scrape out the rest and create a smooth bowl with roughly 1/2-inch red watermelon flesh left on the rind.
3. Line two small, rimmed baking sheets with paper towels in a way that creates a bed for your watermelon bowls. The idea is to create enough support to keep the watermelon bowls from rolling at all while they’re in the fridge. Put one bowl in the center of each tray and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Jell-O mix and the unflavored gelatin. Add 4 cups of boiling water and whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka all at once and whisk just to combine.
5. Pour the Jell-O mixture into the watermelon bowls, dividing evenly. Carefully place the Jell-O filled watermelon bowls in the fridge, and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
6. When Jell-O is set, cut each half into 1-inch slices, crosswise, then cut each slice into 2–3 wedges, and serve.