For some reason this drink became a burden.
(Not unlike its companion book.)
It's a simple drink ... watermelon, vodka, melon liquor, and lemon juice. And yet somehow we tried to make it happen on several different occasions and while the drink itself was made and consumed, it felt forced.
It wasn't a fun, celebratory drink. It became an obligation ... a milestone we had to pass in order to move on to the next book.
The drink itself was unremarkable. (Literally. I have nothing meaningful to say right now.) It wasn't bad. It just wasn't anything memorable.
It tasted like pureed watermelon served in a martini glass. The vodka and midori were hardly noticeable, certainly not enough to overcome the power of the watermelon flavor.
And the longer we put off making the drink, the more burdensome it became because it was the only thing standing between us and Charles Dickens.
FINAL GRADE
Brave New World - book: C
Brave New Swirled - drink: C (For the third attempt, Chris added a few things - lemon juice, orange juice and cranberry juice - that greatly improved it.)