Well, it’s Fourth of July, so the watermelon recipes are flying! I must admit though, that the ones that have been catching my eye are for adult beverages like a basil watermelon cooler with vodka and a watermelon tequila cocktail aptly dubbed “The Party Starter.” (Nix the simple syrups though – the watermelon is so sweet on its own you really don’t need more sugar.)

As someone who earnestly tries to pass off a margarita as a legit fruit serving, I’m all for this new “farm-to-glass” approach such as Luna Red inSan Luis Obispo,CA is doing. After all, one does need to keep hydrated in the summertime, and fruit in a glass is still fruit. Right? Even if it is mixed 1:1 with a potent potable?

In the interest of advancing my cocktail-as-fruit-serving agenda, I decided to look up some of the actual health benefits of watermelon, and according to watermelon.org there are quite a few. (Yes, the fruit does have its own website; evidently it is a not-for-profit arrangement.)

The short list of watermelon benefits includes: Vitamin A — “important for optimal eye health … and boosts immunity,” Vitamin B6 – “helps the immune system produce antibodies,” Vitamin C – “can protect a body from harmful free radicals that can accelerate aging,” Potassium – “mineral necessary for water balance … people with low potassium can experience muscle cramps,” and watermelon is very high in Lycopene – the red pigment that acts as an antioxidant.

Well, put that in your cocktail shaker and mix it on up. Perhaps my theory of fruit servings might be right after all!