What’s more refreshing than watermelon? Here are our best watermelon drink ideas, from tangy margaritas to cool smoothies.

Watermelon drink ideas

Calling all watermelon lovers! What’s more refreshing than the sweet, juicy flavor of watermelon? It tastes like pool parties, summer sun, flip flops and freshly mowed grass. So why not infuse that carefree flavor into some drinks to keep the summery vibe going?

Alex and I set about to create one or two watermelon drink ideas, but somewhere along the way we accidentally came up with 10! Watermelon is perfect in cocktails, but it’s also great in smoothies or just simply sipped through a straw as juice. Its bright pink color also makes it incredibly festive looking.

What are the benefits of eating watermelon?

Side benefit to all these watermelon drink ideas: they’re full of nutrients too! Watermelon is a healthy food: and even if you’re only getting a little bit of it in these drinks, you can snack on the rest that massive watermelon to enjoy it in larger quantities. Here are a few of the benefits of drinking your watermelon — it is:

  • High in lycopene, an antioxidant, which studies show could help curb your risk of cancer and diabetes as part of a healthy lifestyle. Watermelon has more lycopene than any other veggie!
  • High in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.
  • Full of water, so it’s very hydrating.
  • very low calorie food, and naturally sweet.

(Source WebMD: Health Benefits of Watermelon)

And now, let’s get to the watermelon drink ideas!

How to tell if a watermelon is ripe?

Have you ever gotten an unripe watermelon? We have, and it’s quite disappointing! It looks lovely but it tastes completely bland. Here are a few tips for picking out a ripe melon for all your watermelon recipes.

  • To make sure you get ruby red, sweet flesh inside, look for a lighter spot where the watermelon rested in the field: it’s called a field spot. If the field spot is white, it’s unripe: if the spot is yellow, it’s ripe.
  • The watermelon should feel very heavy, which means there’s a lot of juice inside.
Print
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Watermelon Cocktail


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

This watermelon cocktail is vibrant and refreshing, featuring sweet watermelon, lemon, mint, and gin. Don’t forget the watermelon wedge garnish!


Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup chopped watermelon
  • 2 large mint leaves
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vodka
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Cointreau
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon simple syrup, optional
  • For the garnish: small watermelon wedge

Instructions

  1. Add the watermelon and mint to a cocktail shaker. Muddle (gently mash) them with a cocktail muddler or wooden spoon to release the juices. 
  2. Add the vodka, Cointreau, lime juice and simple syrup (if using). Fill with ice and shake until cold.
  3. Strain the drink into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a small watermelon wedge, if desired.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Blended
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Watermelon Drink Ideas, Watermelon Drinks, Watermelon Drink Recipes

More watermelon recipes

And, a few more watermelon recipes we love:

Last updated: July 2020

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

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