The Drink: Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

As summer comes to a close, Billy Reid celebrated his eighth annual Shindig in the Shoals of Alabama. The festival of art, fashion, music, and culture brought together a diverse eclectic bunch for a weekend of jubilation.

Related | Billy Reid Celebrates Shindig No. 8 in Florence, Alabama

Another important feature of Shindig is the food and beverages. Throughout the weekend, some talented chefs and mixologists showcased their skills. One featured cocktail that summed up the weekend’s celebration of summer was the Cantaloupe Agua Fresca from Morgan Weber of 8 Row Flint in Houston.

“Agua Frescas are a huge part of the Hispanic culture here in Houston,” Weber said. “In most neighborhoods around town, refrescarias serve a variety of seasonal fruit drinks--berries in spring, tamarindo year-round, and of course melon during the heat of summer. We have a farm in Southern Louisiana that grows heirloom varieties of cantaloupe. The melons we brought to the Shoals were in their peak and we thought there would be no better way to show them off than take the original notion of the Agua Fresca and spike it with booze."

Say goodbye to summer with your own spin on the Cantaloupe Agua Fresca:

Tito's Vodka

Honeysuckle

Louisiana Heirloom Cantaloupe

Lime Juice

Lime Oleo

Hibiscus-Chile Salt