Two Yoots Recipe

Place the 2 oz of thinly sliced prosciutto in a clean glass jar with a tight lid. Pour 8 oz of aged dark rum over the prosciutto, ensuring the meat is fully submerged. Seal and gently invert once to mix.

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 6–12 hours. For a pronounced savory note, aim for 12 hours; for a subtler influence, 6–8 hours.

After resting, strain the rum through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a clean container. Press gently on the prosciutto to extract liquid but avoid forcing solids through. Discard solids. Chill the washed rum before using. Yield ~7–8 oz usable rum.

Combine 3 oz sugar and 3 oz water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously).

Remove from heat, add 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, and steep for 10 minutes to infuse. After steeping, strain out the mint leaves and cool the syrup to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold. Yields about 6 oz.

Prepare cantaloupe juice

Cut and deseed a ripe cantaloupe. In a blender, puree roughly 1 1/4 cups of cantaloupe flesh until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher to remove solids; you should have ~1 cup of fresh cantaloupe juice. Chill if time permits.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 3 oz prosciutto-washed rum, 1 cup fresh cantaloupe juice, 1 oz fresh lemon juice, and 1.5 oz mint simple syrup. If you like a bit more complexity, add 2 dashes lemon bitters.

Dry shake (no ice) for 8–10 seconds if you want a slightly frothy texture, then add ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds to chill and dilute.

Double strain into two chilled coupe or rocks glasses over fresh ice (or serve neat in chilled coupes). Divide evenly.

Garnish each cocktail with a sprig of fresh mint and a small cantaloupe wedge or melon ball. Clap the mint between your palms before garnishing to release aromatics.

Serve immediately.