Tequila-Grapefruit Cocktails

This cocktail is a riff on the classic combination of tequila and grapefruit soda known as a Paloma. Here, fresh grapefruit juice and grapefruit-infused tequila add bright, citrusy flavor to the drink, while elderflower liqueur adds a touch of sweetness.

• 
  
  4 fl. oz. (1/2 cup) grapefruit-infused silver (blanco) tequila (see note below), preferably Partida (or Don Julio Blanco or El Mejor)
  
  


• 
  
  2 fl. oz. (1/4 cup) fresh grapefruit juice
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 fl. oz. (3 Tbs.) St-Germain elderflower liqueur
  
  


• 
  
  1 fl. oz. (2 Tbs.) fresh lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  Club soda
  
  


• 
  
  Grapefruit twists or lime wedges, for garnish
  
  

Put the tequila, grapefruit juice, St-Germain, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Cover and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into 2 double old fashioned glasses filled with fresh ice, and top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a twist or a wedge of lime.

Note: To make the grapefruit-infused tequila, shave the zest from 2 grapefruits with a vegetable peeler. Add the zest to a 750-ml bottle of silver tequila (pour off enough tequila to make room for the zest). Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 days and up to 2 weeks. Remove the zest after 2 weeks. The tequila will keep indefinitely once the zest is removed.

Rhubarb-Ginger Sparkler

When rhubarb is in season in early spring, make the most of its tart flavor with this spicy, pale pink cocktail. It’s easy to scale up, making it perfect for a brunch or as a signature wedding drink. 

• 
  
  1 lb. fresh rhubarb, roughly chopped
  
  


• 
  
  1 cup granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 oz. (about a 2-inch piece) peeled and sliced fresh ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  
  


• 
  
  750ml sparkling wine, or 24 fl oz. soda water
  
  

In a medium (3-quart) saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, and ginger with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is broken down and softened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
 

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids. Stir in the lemon juice and refrigerate until chilled.
 

Divide the syrup among 6 champagne flutes (about 1/4 cup each) and top with sparkling wine or soda water.
 

Queen Bee Mojito

Camper English uses honey to flavor this combination of three classic cocktails in one glass: the Air Mail (rum, honey, citrus, and Champagne), the Champagne Cocktail, and the Mojito.
Look for the classic mojito recipe as well as dozens more classic cocktails on our Drinks & Entertaining page.

• 
  
  1 fl. oz. (2 Tbs.) honey syrup
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 fl. oz. (1 Tbs.) fresh lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  4 large mint leaves; plus sprigs for garnish
  
  


• 
  
  1 fl. oz. (2 Tbs.) aged dark rum, such as Matusalem Classico or Cruzan Single Barrel
  
  


• 
  
  1 dash Angostura bitters
  
  


• 
  
  1 fl. oz. (2 Tbs.) chilled sparkling dry wine, such as Chandon California Brut Classic
  
  

Put the honey syrup, lime juice, and mint in a chilled cocktail shaker. Press (don’t pulverize) the mint with a muddler or wooden spoon until fragrant. Add the rum and bitters and fill the shaker with ice. Put the lid on the shaker and make sure you have a tight seal. Shake as hard as you can for about 10 seconds and then strain into a chilled small coupe. Add the sparkling wine and garnish with a mint sprig.

To make honey syrup

Combine equal parts of your favorite honey and boiling water and stir to dissolve. Let cool completely before using. Store in the refrigerator between uses for up to 1 month.

Shrimp Cocktail Martini

Pairing the flavors of a shrimp cocktail with herbaceous gin and dry vermouth yields a playful, surprisingly delicious—dare we say, ingenious?—martini. You’ll have leftover pickled shrimp and tomatoes to make a tasty first course: Simply toss with about 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread.

For the pickled shrimp and tomatoes:

• 
  
  2 cups cherry tomatoes
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 cups Champagne vinegar
  
  


• 
  
  5 Tbs. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  4 large sprigs fresh thyme
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. prepared horseradish
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. coriander seeds
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. crushed red pepper flakes
  
  


• 
  
  1 medium lemon, peel and white pith removed, sliced crosswise into 6 pieces
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  1 lb. extra-large shrimp (26 to 30 per lb., preferably wild-caught), peeled and deveined with tails left intact
  
  

For the cocktails:

• 
  
  12 fl. oz. gin (1-1/2 cups), preferably Bluecoat
  
  


• 
  
  6 fl. oz. dry vermouth (3/4 cup), preferably Dolin dry
  
  

Make the pickled shrimp and tomatoes:

Bring a 4-quart saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water.

Score the bottom of each tomato with a small X. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water until you see the skin near the scoring lift, 30 to 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to the ice water to cool. Remove the tomatoes from the ice water and peel. Reserve the ice water, adding more ice if the first batch has melted.

In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups water and the vinegar, sugar, thyme, horseradish, coriander, pepper flakes, lemon, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Add the shrimp first, then the peeled tomatoes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Plunge the bottom of the saucepan into the ice water and let sit, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are cool enough to touch, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a container and refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 2 hours. Cover.

Make the cocktails:

Strain the shrimp and tomato mixture through a medium-mesh sieve set over a 1-quart measuring cup.

For each cocktail, fill a mixing glass three-quarters full with ice. Add 2 fl. oz. (1/4 cup) gin, 1 fl. oz. (2 Tbs.) vermouth, and 4 fl. oz. (1/2 cup) of the shrimp pickling liquid. With a long-handled spoon, stir until well chilled, 25 to 30 rotations. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Skewer 1 pickled shrimp and 1 tomato on a toothpick and add it to the drink. Repeat to make 5 more drinks.

Cucumber-Mint Water

This lightly sweetened cucumber-flavored water is enhanced with fresh mint and a touch of lemon juice; a DIY (and healthier) version of the flavored waters that are all the rage.

• 
  
  1/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  1 cup boiling water
  
  


• 
  
  1 medium English cucumber (about 1 lb.), peeled, seed core removed, and cut into chunks (2 1/2 cups)
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
  
  

Put the mint leaves and sugar in a small pot and crush the leaves with a wooden spoon. Pour in the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to steep and cool for 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, in a blender, purée the cucumber with 2 cups cold water. Strain the cucumber liquid and mint liquid through a fine strainer into a large bowl; discard the solids. Pour the liquid into a large pitcher. Add the lemon juice and 3 cups cold water; stir to combine. Serve over ice.

Blacker & Tanner

This cocktail takes the classic Black & Tan—stout and pale ale—and cranks it up, blacker and tanner, with a double IPA and an imperial stout. You won’t get the ‘layered’ effect, which comes from the nitrogenation of most dry stouts, but you’ll get the blending of the big hops of the IPA and the burnt bitterness of the imperial stout. This cocktail is about twice as strong as a standard beer.
For more beer and classic cocktail recipes, visit our Drinks & Entertaining Guide.

• 
  
  1 12-fl. oz. bottle double IPA, such as Dogfish Head 90 Minute or Stone Ruination IPA, chilled
  
  


• 
  
  1 12- fl. oz. bottle imperial stout, such as North Coast Old Rasputin or Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, chilled
  
  

Fill two chilled pint glasses with equal amounts of the IPA and the stout. Stir gently, and drink slowly.

Eve’s Black Heart

Similar to a Black Velvet, which is made with Guinness and Champagne, this beer cocktail has a double hit of apples from both hard cider and apple brandy. Hence, the name, derived from Eve’s penchant for the forbidden fruit.
Visit the Drinks & Entertaining page for more beer and classic cocktail recipes.

• 
  
  8 fl. oz. (1 cup) dry hard cider (such as Crispin brut or Farnum Hill semi-dry), chilled
  
  


• 
  
  1 14.9-fl.-oz. can Guinness draught, chilled
  
  


• 
  
  1 fl. oz. (2 Tbs.) Calvados
  
  

Divide the cider between two chilled pint glasses. To float the Guinness on top of the cider, pop the tab on the can, let it foam up, and then pour the beer slowly over the rounded back of a tablespoon measure held over each glass, stopping when almost full. Gently pour 1 Tbs. of the Calvados on top of each drink. Serve.

Honeydew-Cucumber Shake with Cucumber Granita

So pale is this shake’s green shade that you could almost call it silver. A cap of luminous, icy, cucumber-flavored granita, even paler green if that’s possible, completes a look that is about as debonair as a milkshake can be. The high water content of honeydew gives this shake a slightly thinner and even more slurpable consistency than most shakes.
Visit our Drinks & Entertaining page for more fun summer drinks and shakes.

• 
  
  2 Tbs. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  Pinch of salt
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 medium cucumber (about 8 ounces), peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 small, ripe honeydew melon (about 1 lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 3 cups)
  
  


• 
  
  6 medium scoops vanilla bean or original vanilla ice cream (about 1-1/2 pints), softened until just melty at the edges
  
  

For the granita:

Bring the sugar and 2 Tbs. water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan to dissolve the sugar; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Off the heat, cool the syrup to room temperature. Place the syrup, salt, 2 tsp. of the lime juice, and the cucumber in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the cucumber mixture into a shallow container. Cover and freeze until softly frozen (not solid), 2-1/2  to 3 hours. Remove from the freezer and gently run a dinner fork through the frozen mass to break it down into loose, icy crystals. Cover the container and return it to the freezer. Freeze until firm, checking and raking the granita with the fork every hour or two to keep the crystals loose and fine, at least 7 hours.

For the shake:

Place 1/2 cup of granita, the honeydew, and the remaining 1 tsp. of lime juice in a blender and blend to break down the honeydew completely, about 1 minute. Add the ice cream and pulse several times to begin breaking it up. With the blender motor off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto the blender blades. Continue pulsing, stopping, and mashing until the mixture is well blended, thick, and moves easily in the blender jar, roughly 30 to 90 seconds. Pour into a chilled glass or glasses, top each with 1/2 cup granita, and serve at once.

Irish Coffee

This cocktail is always served in an Irish coffee cup, which is clear to show off the light cream against the dark coffee and has a handle to prevent burns from a hot glass. Warm the glasses by filling them with hot water and letting them sit for a few minutes before pouring out the water.

• 
  
  1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups strong hot coffee
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup Irish whiskey, such as Jameson
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup heavy cream
  
  

Combine the brown sugar and 2 Tbs. water in a 1-quart saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar is just dissolved. You’ll have 1/4 cup of syrup; depending on how sweet you like your Irish coffee, you may not need it all.

Pour 1/2 cup of the coffee, 3 Tbs. of the whiskey, and 2 to 3 tsp. of the brown sugar syrup into each of 4 warmed 6-oz. glass Irish coffee mugs.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream with a whisk just until it’s frothy and slightly thickened but does not yet hold a peak, about 1 minute. With a soup spoon, float about 3/4 inch of the lightly whipped cream on top of each coffee and serve immediately.

Blacker & Tanner

This cocktail takes the classic Black & Tan—stout and pale ale—and cranks it up, blacker and tanner, with a double IPA and an imperial stout. You won’t get the ‘layered’ effect, which comes from the nitrogenation of most dry stouts, but you’ll get the blending of the big hops of the IPA and the burnt bitterness of the imperial stout. This cocktail is about twice as strong as a standard beer.
For more beer and classic cocktail recipes, visit our Drinks & Entertaining Guide.

• 
  
  1 12-fl. oz. bottle double IPA, such as Dogfish Head 90 Minute or Stone Ruination IPA, chilled
  
  


• 
  
  1 12- fl. oz. bottle imperial stout, such as North Coast Old Rasputin or Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, chilled
  
  

Fill two chilled pint glasses with equal amounts of the IPA and the stout. Stir gently, and drink slowly.

Limoncello-Gin Cocktail with Grilled Thyme

If you're firing up the grill already, throw some thyme sprigs over the fire to coax out the herb’s floral qualities.
Check out the Drinks & Entertaining Guide for more drink recipes perfect for a cookout.

• 
  
  2 large sprigs fresh thyme; more for garnish
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 fl. oz. (1 Tbs.) fresh lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 fl. oz. (3 Tbs.) gin, preferably Bluecoat American Dry
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 fl. oz. (1 Tbs.) limoncello, preferably Averna Limoni di Sicilia
  
  

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill fire for direct cooking over medium-high (500°F) heat. Grill the thyme sprigs until fragrant and lightly charred, about 15 seconds. In a mixing glass or cocktail shaker, gently muddle the grilled thyme with the lime juice. Add the gin and limoncello and fill the shaker with ice. Stir well. Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with fresh ice, garnish with thyme, and serve.

Find this herbal medly and other cocktails on our Drinks page.

Margarita

Margaritas are often made with an orange liqueur like Cointreau, which can make them very sweet. In this version, though, freshly squeezed lime juice—never bottled—has plenty of citrus flavor, and agave syrup sweetens and complements the agave flavors in the tequila. A salted rim is not necessary, but many people like it because it takes the burn out of the alcohol.

• 
  
  1 lime wheel, with a slit cut at the center
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt (optional)
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 fl. oz. (3 Tbs.) 100% agave tequila blanco (silver), such as Patrón or Milagro
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 fl. oz. (3 Tbs.) fresh lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 fl. oz. (1-1/2 Tbs.) light agave nectar
  
  

For a salted rim (optional), run the slit of the lime wheel around the rim of a chilled rocks glass (or a chilled martini glass if you prefer no ice) to moisten, then dip the rim into a small dish of kosher salt.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, and 3/4 fl. oz (1-1/2 Tbs.) water. Put the lid on the shaker and make sure it has a good seal.

Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosty, 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice (if desired). Garnish with the lime wheel and serve.

Watermelon Mojito

If a standard-issue mojito weren't refreshing enough, one with muddled watermelon in the minty mix shoots it right off the charts. Hot summer weekend, sun beginning to set, backyard, friends. You get the picture.

• 
  
  8 large sprigs of fresh mint
  
  


• 
  
  4 cups cubed seedless watermelon (3/4-inch cubes are perfect here)
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup Simple Syrup
  
  


• 
  
  Ice cubes (you'll need about  2 quarts)
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups white rum (I like D'Aristi rum from Yucatan)
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  
  


• 
  
   Sparkling water or club soda
  
  

Tip:

You need about 3 pounds of watermelon to yield the 4 cups of fruit you need for these drinks.

Set out eight tall 12-ounce glasses. Put the leaves stripped off a single sprig of mint into each glass--you'll need about 10 leaves for each drink--and top with 1/2  cup watermelon cubes. Divide the Simple Syrup among the glasses (1 Tbs. - 1/2 fl. oz. per glass). Use a muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon or a long-handle ice tea spoon, though neither is anywhere near as effective) to crush the mint and watermelon, releasing their flavor into the syrup--the more muddling, the fuller the flavors. Fill each glass with ice. Measure in the rum (1/4 cup - 2 fl. oz. per glass) and the lime juice (1 Tbs. - 1/2 fl. oz. per glass). Use a long-handle ice tea spoon to mix everything together. Top off each glass with a little sparkling water or soda and you're ready to serve.

Watermelon Mule

This summery riff on a Moscow Mule adds fresh watermelon purée to the classic combination of vodka, ginger beer, and lime. Ginger beer is similar to ginger ale, but has a more pungent, crisp flavor. 

• 
  
  3/4 cup seeded watermelon chunks
  
  


• 
  
  2  fl. oz. (1/4 cup) vodka
  
  


• 
  
  1  fl. oz. (2 Tbs.) fresh lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2  fl. oz. (3 Tbs.) ginger beer
  
  


• 
  
  1  lime slice for garnish
  
  

Purée the watermelon in a food processor until smooth; strain. You should have 3 fl. oz (6 Tbs.) juice.

Pour the watermelon juice, vodka, and lime juice into a chilled cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake for about 10 seconds then pour into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top off with the ginger beer and garnish with the lime slice.

The Michelada

This beer cocktail is simple and delicious. For an even simpler version—the Chelada—salt the rim of an ice-filled pint glass, add light lager and fresh lime juice, and enjoy.
For more beer and classic cocktail recipes, visit our Drinks & Entertaining Guide.

• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 small lime
  
  


• 
  
  1 12-fl.-oz. bottle light lager, such as Corona or Modelo Especial, chilled  
  
  


• 
  
  2 dashes Worchestershire sauce
  
  


• 
  
  2 dashes soy sauce
  
  


• 
  
  2 dashes hot pepper sauce, such as Cholula or Tabasco
  
  


• 
  
  Freshly cracked black pepper
  
  

Pour 2 Tbs. salt into a small, wide dish. Wet the rim of a chilled pint glass with the lime. Dip the rim into the salt, margarita-style. Fill the glass with ice and squeeze the lime over the ice. Fill the glass with beer and then add the Worchestershire, soy, and hot sauce. Give a pepper mill a single twist over the ice. Stir gently until the drink takes on a uniform color. Serve immediately, with the remaining beer on the side for adding to the glass as you empty it. By the time you’ve finished, the heat of the drink will have subsided and you’ll be ready for another.

Salty Perro Rojo

With its rosy color and sweet flavor, Texas red grapefruit juice makes an outstanding cocktail. Grapefruit juice and gin is known as a Greyhound, and if you salt the rim of the glass, it’s a Salty Dog. If you substitute tequila for the gin, it’s a Salty Perro. Since the grapefruit juice is red, I call this drink a Salty Perro Rojo.

• 
  
  Coarse sea salt
  
  


• 
  
  4 shots freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice
  
  


• 
  
  1 shot plata tequila
  
  

Put the salt in a saucer and wet the rim of a highball glass with grapefruit juice.

Salt the glass by dipping the wet rim in the salt. Fill the salted glass with ice. Add the tequila, then the juice, and stir carefully so as not to mess up the salted rim.

Peach Melba Cocktail

Fruit lambic beers are tart Belgian brews fermented with wild yeasts and aged with crushed fruit or fruit juices. A mix of peach and raspberry lambics makes a drink that sounds like dessert but tastes like an apéritif.
If you enjoyed this fruit-infused drink, be sure to try the others in our Drinks and Entertaining Guide. 

• 
  
  6 fl. oz. (3/4 cup) pêche (peach) lambic, such as Lindemans, chilled
  
  


• 
  
  2 fl. oz. (1/4 cup) framboise (raspberry) lambic, such as Lindemans, chilled
  
  


• 
  
  1 thin slice lemon
  
  

Combine the two beers in a chilled 9-oz. Champagne flute. Gently squeeze the lemon slice over the drink and then add the slice to the drink. Serve.

Margarita

Margaritas are often made with an orange liqueur like Cointreau, which can make them very sweet. In this version, though, freshly squeezed lime juice—never bottled—has plenty of citrus flavor, and agave syrup sweetens and complements the agave flavors in the tequila. A salted rim is not necessary, but many people like it because it takes the burn out of the alcohol.

• 
  
  1 lime wheel, with a slit cut at the center
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt (optional)
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 fl. oz. (3 Tbs.) 100% agave tequila blanco (silver), such as Patrón or Milagro
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 fl. oz. (3 Tbs.) fresh lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 fl. oz. (1-1/2 Tbs.) light agave nectar
  
  

For a salted rim (optional), run the slit of the lime wheel around the rim of a chilled rocks glass (or a chilled martini glass if you prefer no ice) to moisten, then dip the rim into a small dish of kosher salt.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, and 3/4 fl. oz (1-1/2 Tbs.) water. Put the lid on the shaker and make sure it has a good seal.

Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosty, 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice (if desired). Garnish with the lime wheel and serve.

Double-Chocolate Malted Milk Shake

For the thickest shakes, use a dense, premium brand of ice cream, like Ben & Jerry’s. And if you’d rather have just a chocolate milk shake, skip the malt powder at the end.
Visit the Drinks & Entertaining Guide for dozens more recipes for shakes and frozen cocktails.

• 
  
  1/3 to 1/2 cup very cold whole milk; more as needed
  
  


• 
  
  3 scoops chocolate ice cream (about 2 oz. each), slightly softened; more as needed
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. chocolate syrup, such as Hershey’s Special Dark
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. plain malted milk powder; more to taste
  
  

Pour the milk into the mixing cup of a milk shake mixer or hand blender or into the jar of a regular blender. Add the ice cream and chocolate syrup. Blend on high speed until smooth. The blending time depends on the machine and the temperature of the ingredients. If necessary, add more milk or ice cream to adjust to your preferred consistency. When the shake is just about smooth, briefly blend in the malted milk powder. Serve immediately in a chilled glass.

Honeydew-Cucumber Shake with Cucumber Granita

So pale is this shake’s green shade that you could almost call it silver. A cap of luminous, icy, cucumber-flavored granita, even paler green if that’s possible, completes a look that is about as debonair as a milkshake can be. The high water content of honeydew gives this shake a slightly thinner and even more slurpable consistency than most shakes.
Visit our Drinks & Entertaining page for more fun summer drinks and shakes.

• 
  
  2 Tbs. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  Pinch of salt
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 medium cucumber (about 8 ounces), peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 small, ripe honeydew melon (about 1 lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 3 cups)
  
  


• 
  
  6 medium scoops vanilla bean or original vanilla ice cream (about 1-1/2 pints), softened until just melty at the edges
  
  

For the granita:

Bring the sugar and 2 Tbs. water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan to dissolve the sugar; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Off the heat, cool the syrup to room temperature. Place the syrup, salt, 2 tsp. of the lime juice, and the cucumber in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the cucumber mixture into a shallow container. Cover and freeze until softly frozen (not solid), 2-1/2  to 3 hours. Remove from the freezer and gently run a dinner fork through the frozen mass to break it down into loose, icy crystals. Cover the container and return it to the freezer. Freeze until firm, checking and raking the granita with the fork every hour or two to keep the crystals loose and fine, at least 7 hours.

For the shake:

Place 1/2 cup of granita, the honeydew, and the remaining 1 tsp. of lime juice in a blender and blend to break down the honeydew completely, about 1 minute. Add the ice cream and pulse several times to begin breaking it up. With the blender motor off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto the blender blades. Continue pulsing, stopping, and mashing until the mixture is well blended, thick, and moves easily in the blender jar, roughly 30 to 90 seconds. Pour into a chilled glass or glasses, top each with 1/2 cup granita, and serve at once.