Happy Birthday, Canada!!

Here is my birthday gift to you: watermelon in the shape of maple leaves. Soaked in rum (mojito!! or not, for a version sans-booze). Stuck on a Popsicle stick and frozen for your patriotic enjoyment. Watermelon might not be Canadian, but that shape certainly is, and I’m pretty sure day drinking might be too…eh? I’ve been out of the capital for the last little bit having a grand old time in Toronto with some quality people. While July 1st really is the one day a year that Ottawa becomes ‘the’ party city to be in, I’m looking forward to celebrating in big bad Tarana for the first time.You’ll need: watermelon, rum (brown or white works), mint, the juice of two limes, water and sugar. The ratios really just depend on how melon you have and how boozy/sweet/minty you’d like your pops to taste–keep in mind that the flavours will diminish slightly once it’s frozen.
I used a maple leaf cookie cutter to shape my watermelon, but these will taste equally good in whatever shape you choose, of course.

Slice and shape your watermelon and place them in a shallow dish so that they lie in a single layer.

Make a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar, put over heat on the stove until sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly). Add the mint and lime juice to the syrup. Stir in as much rum as you like (we put about half a cup in).

Pour the rum & syrup mixture over the watermelon–the longer you let it soak the boozier it’ll be! I’d say at least half an hour.

Put a Popsicle stick in each piece of melon and pop them in the freezer for an hour or until you’re ready to enjoy them.

Happy Canada Day (drinking)!! Be safe and have fun, ya crazy Canucks.