Watermelon Hibiscus Smash | Brownbelle.jpg

As part of this year’s Juneteenth celebration, I’ve collaborated with 60+ other amazing black food bloggers for a Juneteenth Cookout Takeover. When I was asked to join this virtual cookout I was really pumped to connect in this way over food and drink, a cornerstone of our culture. I spoke to my mom about it, because we really didn’t celebrate it growing up, even though we always went to Kwanza celebrations.

It wasn’t until I was an adult and had moved to DC that I learned about it and actually celebrated Juneteenth. This year I have really been thinking about what freedom and liberation mean to me. And with COVID and the Uprising for Black liberation, I have been really reckoning with myself on what it all means to me. More on that later.

For my recipe, I made a watermelon, hibiscus whiskey smash. To make this at home put the lemon wedges and watermelon cubes into your jigger and muddle to release the juice of the watermelon and the juice and oils from the lemon wedges. Add the Whiskey, herbs, simple syrup, and fill with ice. Shake until you feel the jigger is very cold. Strain the contents over crushed ice and garnish.

This is a great party punch you can make in bulk. I would blend the watermelon and herbs into juice, blend some lemons, and strain the juice. Taste as you go, and add them into your pitcher until you have a tart watermelon lemon mixture. Add simple until it is just a tad bit too sweet and then add Whiskey to balance. The key here is to taste as you go.

INGREDIENTS (1 SERVING)

Three medium-sized cubes of watermelon
Three lemon wedges
1 oz Hibiscus simple syrup
2 oz whiskey, I used Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey
10 herb leaves ( you can use basil or mint)

I’m participating in the 2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover. This initiative was established to encourage the celebration of Juneteenth – a jubilee of freedom to commemorate the end of slavery – and to amplify the food traditions of black culinary creatives.
Juneteenth (a merge of the words/date June Nineteenth) marks the date in 1865 that the last enslaved people learned of their freedom.
And for over 150 years since, Black American families, home-cooks, chefs, and culinarians have commemorated the summer holiday with a wide range of food traditions that tell a story of the perseverance of a people.\