Picnic at Project Swing

This spicy, smoky-sweet recipe was created for a pairing between the Lightner Museum and St. Augustine Distillery. Photo by Amanda Olivero.

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

For datil pepper simple syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 chopped datil pepper

For cocktail

3 lemon wedges

4 (1-inch) watermelon chunks

4-6 mint leaves

¾ ounce datil pepper simple syrup

2 ounces St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon

Cultivate Tea & Spice Co. Datil BBQ Rub

Ice

Instructions

To make datil pepper simple syrup: Simmer water, sugar and datil pepper for 10 minutes, then cool and strain. Store unused syrup in a glass jar in refrigerator.

To make cocktail: Muddle lemon, watermelon and mint in a cocktail shaker. Add simple syrup and bourbon and shake. Rim a glass with rub and fill with pebble ice. Strain drink into glass and garnish with mint.