The Gadget Hack You Need For Effortless Watermelon Kegs

A watermelon keg is one of the best ways to serve cocktails to a large party. Not only can you simply throw away the hollow watermelon when the party's over, but it also lends tropical flair all season round. Fill it with libations, add a tap near the bottom, and your guests will be able to help themselves.

But emptying a watermelon is a chore all on its own. Depending on the size of your melon, it can take a long time and a lot of effort to turn the watermelon from a fleshy fruit to an empty vessel, especially since you must keep most of its rind intact. Additionally, the process is quite messy and leaves fragments of the fruit and juice everywhere.

But there is a far better way to accomplish this task. With a pineapple corer, you can remove huge portions of watermelon flesh in minutes. Not only does it save time, but it would also yield a column of watermelon you can cut up for use later.

If you have never encountered a pineapple corer, it is a tool that allows you to cut into a pineapple with its top cut off. It is made of a hollow cylinder with a sharp edge on the bottom. Around the cylinder, you would find a movable plate with a cutter not dissimilar to a cheese slicer. Above both would be a sturdy handle designed to allow turning. When you push the corer into a pineapple, the sharp bottom edge cuts into the flesh around the core, while the hollow interior of the corer swallows the inedible core. The slicer would cut the pineapple into a spiral, and when you pull the tool out of the pineapple, you will find a perfectly spiral-cut column of pineapple, the core cut off and ready to be disposed of.

To use the tool on the watermelon, cut off its top and shave the bottom of the fruit so it can stand steadily on a flat surface. Then use the tool just as described above. The corer would cut a spiral column of flesh out of the watermelon, which can be cut into uniform pieces for future use. Meanwhile, all you need to do is to scoop away the watermelon flesh unreachable by the corer, which dramatically shortens the process of hollowing out the fruit. Optionally, you can insert a tapping kit on the lower side of the watermelon, and now you have a watermelon keg.

Now that you have a ready-to-use watermelon keg, the question is what to fill it with, and plenty of options exist. For example, you can try a minty and refreshing watermelon mojito. To start, fill the keg halfway with ice or frozen watermelon chunks (frozen fruit will keep the drinks cool without watering it down). Blend the rest of the watermelon with mint leaves, lime juice, sugar, and white rum, and fill the rest of the keg. 

Another delicious option is a watermelon and mixed berry sangria, which brings some Spanish flair to your party. Blend watermelon flesh alongside berries (raspberries, strawberries, and others) until smooth. Place frozen berries and ice into the keg, then add a bottle of white or rose wine and vodka. Pour in the blended watermelon and berries and stir to combine before serving.

Finally, if you need a non-alcoholic option, try mixing frozen watermelon chunks, lemonade, sugar, watermelon juice and soda water for a family-friendly treat, or try this watermelon aqua fresca with lime and blueberries. And if you have any leftover watermelon juice, try this watermelon and parsley ice pop for a thirst-quenching frozen treat.