To celebrate this month’s sexy theme, EBONY created recipes using ingredients mythicized for their libido- boosting qualities. Pomegranates, strawberries and chiles, for example, can turn a simple cocktail into a spicily seductive libation. Watermelon in the Tropical Passion Punch is saturated in crisp white wine and coconut rum. The Citrus Beehive Soda, a titillating nonalcoholic beverage, blends bubbly club soda with rosemary-infused honey. “Like a good date between two people, the chemistry between these ingredients is crucial,” says David Heredia, chef de cuisine for Great Performances catering company in New York City. “Because everything meshes perfectly, the results are explosive. You won’t be able to have just one.”
 
 
Tropical Passion Punch
Serves 4
 
 INGREDIENTS
750 ml sauvignon blanc wine
500 ml Malibu coconut rum
1 quart freshly cut watermelon cubes
1 quart pomegranate seeds
1 pint raspberries
1 pint freshly cut pineapple chunks
2 oranges, sliced into small  triangles
 
PREPARATION
In a glass container, combine wine, rum, watermelon chunks, pomegranate seeds, raspberries and pineapples. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours, allowing fruit to infuse mixture. Serve in four chilled rocks glasses with ice. Add orange triangles for garnish.
 
Read more recipes in the July 2015 issue of EBONY Magazine.