Hey, I'm Matt! I've been creepily looking over Beau's shoulder as he writes everything you've read on here the last six months. Now you'll actually be hearing from me sometimes instead of just seeing my hand reaching for desserts in pictures! I'm pretty excited about that, and I hope you are too. Basically, but not 100%, here's how we break it down: he's sassy and fun, I'm calm and smart. He does desserts and other baked things, and I do cocktails, and together we do savory food things. And sometimes we switch it up. We're both pretty versatile.

You can tell who wrote which posts by looking under the post's title. So for this one it will say "Matt," and you can click on my name there to see all the posts I've written, or on Beau's for all the posts he's written. It will list "Probably This" under the titles of posts we've co-authored. So if you're super not into this whole relaunch thing and you have a crush on Beau and you want me to die a slow and painful death alone in darkness, just click his name under the title of one of his posts and I'll disappear forever. Go ahead, I understand.

Beau and I are like borderline obsessed with swimming pools. Well, I mean, Beau likes them, but I literally spent a semester of college writing about swimming pools once. It was a strange, obsessive period when all my spare time was dedicated to researching their cultural and literary significance [insert other academic words]. LOL college broke me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Basically I'm a swimming pool expert which makes this cocktail expert-recommended.*

* Not true statement

The drink features my absolute favorite melon of summer 2015 this week, the cantaloupe. Beau and I have been crushing some cantaloupe so far this summer. We have it for breakfast like every day. We cut it in half, sprinkle some sea salt, and go to town on it with a spoon. It's super delicious and refreshing, plus it's got all that water content, and we know it's important to stay hydrated if we plan to have a drink in the hot sun later, right? Haha if you actually care about that bullshit.

Honestly, though, you could just combine the hydrating and drinking into one delicious step with this drink. I just made myself one to finish writing this and I'm both A) incredibly impressed with my ability to type with one hand and muddle with the other and B) feeling considerably happier than I was when I started, so it should work that way for you, too.

Tequila, Sherry, Cantaloupe Cocktail*
makes one

1.5oz blanco tequila
.75oz Fino sherry*
.5oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 barspoon agave nectar
4-5 mint leaves
1 mint sprig for garnish
1.5oz cantaloupe juice*
1 can club soda

Build in shaker.
Muddle* 4-5 mint leaves with agave nectar and a small splash of club soda.
Add lemon, sherry, and tequila.
Add ice and shake for 15-20 seconds, or until a frosty layer has developed on the outside of the shaking tin.
Strain into a Collins glass filled 3/4 of the way up with crushed ice.
Top first with cantaloupe juice, then fill to the top with club soda.*
Slap a mint sprig to release some of its oils and stick it in the drink for prettiness and a great aroma. Stick a straw in that sucker and have fun.

Notes

If you don't have a jigger, you can easily measure drink ingredient amounts with a tablespoon. One tablespoon is equal to 0.5 fl. oz. Also, a barspoon is roughly equal to a teaspoon.
Fino is my favorite liquid and makes me go like this
You might be able to find cantaloupe juice in a grocery store, but I just juiced mine myself. If you have a juicer, great. If not (I don't) just scoop the flesh out, blend, and strain.
Muddling should be a gentle press more than a rough pound, otherwise your herbs could release an unwanted bitter flavor.
It's important to add the cantaloupe juice after you shake and strain the drink into the glass. Non-citrus fruit juices get very frothy when shaken. It will incorporate on its own pretty well, but you can give it a little straw stir if you like.

Swimsuit: Robinson Les Bains

Cantaloupe Cocktails