Sunny Melon Punch - "in whole fruits"

Serve this delicious Melon Punch - in "whole fruits" right out of the melon´s bowl and be sure that your crew will call you "head of beverage" afterwards (no need to tell them how easy-peasy the whole thing is done ...)

The melon punch, served in the natural bowl, makes a decorative and thirst-quenching drink on a hot summer day.

Well-chilled, the punch remains fresh and sparkling for quite a while. However, you might want to take a nap afterwards, as the punch contains some alcohol... Prepare it on a nice anchorage, and everyone will have a jolly afternoon.

Ingredients:

1 watermelon of about 5 kilograms 
2 bottles of dry white wine
2 bottles of dry sparkling wine
1 shot of schnapps

Directions:

1. Clean the outer shell of the watermelon. Putting it in a cooking pot prevents the fruit from rolling around. The pedicel of the watermelon should point up.

2. Take a sharp knife and cut out a lid of approx. 15 centimetres in diameter. Put the lid aside.

3. Remove the melon pulp using a big spoon. Put the pulp in a bow, remove the melon pips and dice the melon pieces. Keep the melon juice. Put half of the melon pieces back in the melon bowl, add some of the juice. 

4. Pour in one bottle of chilled white wine and add a shot of schnapps. You may use Cognac, cherry liquor, slivovitz... whatever the board bar provides.

5. Stir carefully and put on the lid. Put the cooking pot with the melon in the fridge.

6. Blend the remaining melon pieces and the juice with the other bottle of white wine and one bottle of sparkling wine. Add a liqueur shot. This mixture will serve as a refill. Also put it in the fridge.

7. Before you serve the melon punch, cut a little hole in the rim of the lid. This hole will fix the handle of the serving spoon.

8. Pour in a bottle of sparkling wine and enjoy the "Oohs" and "Aahs" while serving the fruit punch. Cheers!

By the way: You can involve the whole crew in the punch preparation process. Sitting on the stern and on the bathing platform, they hollow out the melon and remove the pips. The sticky melon juice that splashes all over the deck can easily removed with the stern shower - or by simply jumping into the water.