Nothing says summer like outdoor parties. That includes good food, good music, good friends and, of course, good drinks.

I like all four (usually with an emphasis on good food), but, during a cookout last week, I decided to pay a little extra attention to the good drinks. So, I grabbed some of the Bolthouse Farms Watermelon Mint Lemonade that I mentioned in an entry earlier this month, did a quick recipe research online and whipped up the cocktail recipe you see below.

How was it? Let’s just say, the “good drinks” were the highlight of that gathering.

Leave a comment with your thoughts on the “good foods, good music, good friends and good drinks” summer party checklist. Which do you value most? A reminder: One comment from all the comments left on the blog this month will win two bottles of Bolthouse Farms Watermelon Mint Lemonade!

Watermelon Mint Lemonade Cocktail

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Bolthouse Farms Watermelon Mint Lemonade

2 cups Vodka or rum (or water for a non-alcoholic version)

2 tablespoons Sugar

¼ Fresh lime juice

¼ cup Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

5 or 6 Fresh lemon slices (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all of the above ingredients in a large pitcher. Chill and serve!

Watermelon is undoubtedly the fruit of choice when temperatures start to climb. (Or all year round, if you’re like me.) But why limit watermelon to just its original form? There are plenty of ways to infuse the sweet flavor of watermelon into other summertime treats as well.

Like I mentioned last week, Bolthouse Farms has created a new Watermelon Mint Lemonade, and it makes a great addition to your favorite smoothie recipe. Don’t have a favorite smoothie recipe? No worries—I’ve got you covered. Try the recipe below for Simple Watermelon Peach Smoothies, and you’ll find yourself whipping them up all summer long.

As an added bonus, you can post your thoughts on the recipe in the comments section for a chance to win this month’s prize—two bottles of Bolthouse Farms Watermelon Mint Lemonade. I’ll randomly select one person from all the comments posted throughout the month!

Simple Watermelon Peach Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

3 cups Bolthouse Farms Watermelon Mint Lemonade

2 Peaches (peeled)

2 Apricots

½ cup of Water

¼ cup of Orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour Watermelon Mint Lemonade into a large container. Peel and remove the pit from the peaches. Removed the pit from the apricots. Blend peaches, apricots, water and orange juice in a blender until smooth. Add mixture to Watermelon Mint Lemonade. Chill and serve!

I really didn’t plan to offer so many drink-themed prizes this year; it just sort of worked out that way. So far this year, we’ve given away watermelon-flavored water, watermelon drops to add to your own water, and last month’s prize, which highlighted Chili’s new, watermelon-flavored drink menu.

This month’s prize continues the hydration theme and, in my opinion, is probably the tastiest prize of 2014. It’s Bolthouse Farms’ Watermelon Mint Lemonade. The Watermelon Mint Lemonade is a brand-new, summer-only item that’s available through August wherever Bolthouse Farms drinks are sold.

According to the folks at Bolthouse Farms, the new drink “sports a trifecta of flavorful goodness: peak-season watermelon, lemons for classic refreshment and fresh mint to surprise unsuspecting tastebuds.”

A few months ago, before the Watermelon Mint Lemonade was even in stores, the Bolthouse Farms team was kind enough to send me a few samples of the new beverage. As a watermelon fan AND a lemonade fan, I was pretty excited to give it a try.

So how’s it taste? Pretty much like summer in a bottle. But, then again, that’s what you’d expect from something that combines two great summer flavors like lemonade and watermelon.

Seriously, you’ll have to resist the temptation to pop off the lid and chug this stuff straight from the family-sized, 52-ounce bottle. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. If that’s what you want to do, then go right ahead. My wife tends to frown on that sort of behavior, so I’m forced to do my chugging from the glass. It’s still refreshing, but not nearly as fun.

Leave a comment with your thoughts on this combination of lemonade and watermelon. I’ll choose one comment at random from ALL the comments left on the blog this month to win two containers of Bolthouse Farms’ new Watermelon Mint Lemonade. Also, be on the lookout this month for, not one, but two recipes using the new drink!