DIY: 3 ways to make Vodka Watermelon

Galen and I were invited for a potluck gathering at a friend’s place. While the others were discussing what to buy and bring for the party, we thought of making something on our own. We wanted something interesting and unique, and Galen suggested vodka watermelon. It was our first attempt, and it sure came with a few trial and errors. As Galen correctly quoted, “I have not failed. I've just found 10000 ways that won't work”. Thank you Thomas Edison. For these  wise words, and of course, for the lightbulb.

1. Funnel in the Watermelon

We were kind of dumbfounded when Galen’s mother handed us the funnel. Okay, a (funny) funnel with 5 holes. We had to make do with it, so we made 5 corresponding holes in the watermelon with a metal chopstick.

We pushed the funnel into the watermelon, and made sure that it is stable before pouring the vodka in. The vodka was escaping fast- not through evaporation, but it was dripping down the watermelon and not into the watermelon. We had to think- fast- and Galen came up with a second method.

2. Pool in the Watermelon

Galen cut out a square piece of watermelon and got this 'plug'. Remember to keep this ‘plug’ so that it would be easy to transport your watermelon to the party.

I used a metal chopstick to poke many deep holes in the flesh of the watermelon. Then, we poured the vodka directly into the pool. We kept the watermelon fresh by covering the hole with cling wrap. We placed the watermelon into the fridge, overnight, but it was trickling down too slowly. There was no significant decrease in the vodka volume when we checked the next morning. We needed an alternative plan.

3. Bottle in the Watermelon

Galen had an eureka moment when he concluded that there was no pressure in the pool thus, the vodka cannot be pushed into the watermelon. “We have to create pressure” he said.

He found a Mountain Dew bottle, which was a good shape for a funnel. We cut through the top, and pushed the bottle straight into the flesh of the watermelon- as far as it could go and still be stable. We then poured the vodka in, and cling wrapped the exposed part of the watermelon to maintain its freshness. The watermelon went back into the fridge and we counted down to the potluck dinner.

The moment of truth arrived after dinner and rounds of playing Saboteur. It was time for our “special fruit”. The vodka concentrated mainly nearly the opening that we had made, and not diffused evenly throughout the fruit. Some parts were pretty heavy and tasted like alcohol swipes, but other parts had a nice hint of vodka amidst the sweetness of the watermelon. We estimated that around 250ml of vodka went into the watermelon which was around 5 to 6 kg.

A friend suggested that we could use a syringe to inject the vodka into the watermelon, to ensure that the vodka is more evenly distributed. We probably would try it the next time round, if we could lay our hands on a syringe without being mistaken for a druggie at the pharmacy. Overall, it was a good attempt. Our company enjoyed it, as much as we did making it.