Food Recipes Sparkling Cantaloupe Lemonade 4.2 (18) If you’re looking for a drink that not only tastes but looks like summer in a glass, then look no further. This spicy melon sparkler combines a peppercorn-spiked simple syrup with puréed cantaloupe and sparkling water for a delicious, bright twist on your average lemonade. If you want to tote this along for a picnic or barbecue, make the cantaloupe-lemon-syrup mixture and wait to add the sparkling water until you’re ready to drink up. Shopping tip: look for pink peppercorns near the spices at your grocery store. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who's been working in the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Her recipes and writing have appeared in more than 10 nationally distributed print publications, as well as on various digital platforms. Anna's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine and Southern Living. Anna earned her BS in agricultural education and communication from the University of Florida, and a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. She is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier Birmingham chapter. She has 10 years of experience developing recipes. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and two dogs. She also loves fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 14, 2018 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Greg DuPree Hands On Time: 20 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Yield: 8 serves Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons pink peppercorns, plus more for garnish 3 cups chopped cantaloupe 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 to 5 lemons), chilled 5 cups cold sparkling water or club soda Lemon slices, for garnish Boozy Sparkling Cantaloupe Lemonade (Serves 8 to 10): Prepare recipe as directed, stirring in 1½ cups vodka or gin just before serving. Directions Combine sugar, peppercorns, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves; let cool completely. Strain mixture and discard peppercorns. Chill until very cold, about 2 hours. Place cantaloupe in a blender and process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to remove juice (you should have 1 cup juice). Discard solids. Stir together chilled syrup, cantaloupe juice, and lemon juice in a large pitcher and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add sparkling water to chilled juice mixture. Serve over ice, garnished with lemon slices and pink peppercorns. Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 124 Calories 0g Fat 32g Carbs 1g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 124 % Daily Value * Total Fat 0g 0% Sodium 10mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 32g 12% Total Sugars 30g Protein 1g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.