This post sponsored by Prairie Organic Spirits. 21+ only. Please drink responsibly.

It's melon and cucumber season! HUZZAH!!! When the farmer's market giveth, we taketh and then we maketh cocktails. And I say farmer's market instead of my garden because dang the summer heat this year has decimated everything...even the warm summer crops.

Growing your own organic garden produce is such a balancing act (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?). It's a labor of love filled with highs (when you have a gorgeous, bountiful, Instagram-worthy harvest), and the lowest of lows; when you put all that time, energy, and sweat into growing things only to watch them vaporize in the heat, or get eaten up by a particularly voracious batch of insects (spider mites are my sworn enemy for eternity). Such is the stuff of life when you strive to grow things organically.

Which is why I have such an appreciation for Prairie Organic Spirits and their uncompromising commitment to creating organic farm-crafted spirits that are not only chemical-, gluten-, and GMO-free, but truly field-to-bottle in heart and soul. Prairie's farmers work in the field up to three times longer than conventional farmers do, because organic farming is hard, you guys! And once those crops are lovingly grown and harvested, EVERY. SINGLE. BATCH. of their gin and vodkas are distilled to taste, allowing for all the subtle nuances of each crop to be fully embraced through their flavors.

Even though my own crops failed this year, I am living for Prairie's Cucumber flavored Organic Vodka in my drinks--it adds not only the prettiest cucumber fragrance, but a mellow cukey flavor that is just so snappy and fresh in a summer cocktail. The sad void in my garden is being well-filled with lovely, lovely cucumber beverages courtesy of Prairie, and also accompanied by all the usual chicken garden antics. Like chickens circus-balancing on melons.

Speaking of organic produce and chickens, it's probably best NOT to let your chickens walk all over your cantaloupes if you're going to put them in a drink or near your mouth at all. Unless you are staging a fancy photo shoot and then feeding anything they put their chicken feet on back to them. Just don't let them put their chicken feet on that beautiful booze.

Now let's make those drinks.

SALTED CANTALOUPE CUCUMBER SUMMER SLUSH

Makes four approx. 10 oz. servings.

4 mounded cups of cantaloupe juice cubes (instructions below)
10 oz. Prairie Organic Cucumber flavored Vodka
8 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. grey sea salt, plus approximately 1 tbs. reserved for garnish
1 lime slice for rimming glasses
Cucumber or melon slices for garnish. Plus edible flowers never hurt.

To make cantaloupe juice to freeze into cubes, you'll need the juice of approximately two whole cantaloupes. Remove skin, seeds, and pulp from cantaloupe (and feed to chickens), and cut into small chunks. Place chunks in blender and blend until liquified. Pour cantaloupe liquid through a fine mesh strainer, using a spoon or muddler to press it all the way through. This should yield you about 4 cups of juice. Fill two standard ice cube trays with the juice. Freeze overnight.

Prep your glasses by placing them in the freezer while you make the cocktails. Place 1 tbs. sea salt on a small dish.

To make your cocktails, place cantaloupe juice cubes, vodka, lime juice and 2 tsp. salt in a blender and blend just until smooth. Remove glasses from freezer, rub a slice of lime on one side of each glass rim and dip them in sea salt. Pour blender mixture into each glass, garnishing with cucumber slices (or whatever you got) and edible flowers. Sprinkle a bit of salt across the top of the drink and garnish. Just do it. It looks pretty.