10 Ways To Use Watermelon In Your Summer Cocktails

When the sun's out and the temperatures start to soar, 'tis the season of the watermelon. As summer promises such prolific bounties of produce, it can be hard to pick one fruit as the sole symbol of summer. Still, when it comes to cocktail-worthy ingredients, the watermelon has certainly earned its blue ribbon position.

With so many watermelon cocktail ideas to create, it's easy to forget about the vast number of watermelon varieties available. But whichever type ends up in your glass, no fruit's easier to work with ... nor yields such delicious summertime drinks.

When incorporating watermelon into your summer cocktails, it's best to look for melons at peak ripeness. That's because the goal is to transport that fresh fruit flavor from the flesh and into your glass. As a seasoned bartender, I've compiled a list of ten different uses for adding watermelon to your drinks, all without making a sticky, watery mess of yourself in the process.

Neither juice nor syrup, watermelon puree is the only way to go if you enjoy full-bodied and full-flavored fresh watermelon cocktails. Pureeing fresh fruit is a relatively simple process, but it forgoes a fine-mesh strainer or sieve to retain its notably rustic and jammy texture.

The puree method yields the best results when the fruit is ripe, so be on the lookout for the yellow spot on a watermelon to ensure it's fresh and ready. A ripe watermelon should be heavy, and you can gently press against the rind to check its firmness. While watermelon contains natural sugars, it's possible to enhance the puree with sweeteners like agave or honey and acid like citrus juice. These techniques yield a jammier puree similar to a syrup – but with body. Still, for a no-fuss, full-flavor watermelon puree, the fruit itself and a blender are truly all you need.

Purees bring added weight and a luxurious texture to drinks, which can transform everyday drinks into specialty sippers. Already a summertime staple, a mojito with pureed fresh fruit is an upgrade that nobody could say no to.

On its own, watermelon juice is a low-calorie drink with 92% water content, making it perfect for hydrating on a hot summer day. Packed with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, watermelon also contains less sugar than some other fruits. When pressed and strained, the aptly named fruit's juice is a naturally delicious cocktail mixer, and while it takes a little bit of preparation, in watermelon's case, the juice is worth the squeeze.

That's exactly why store-bought watermelon juice won't do, and if that's your play, prepare to be disappointed. These pre-made versions tend to have additives and sweeteners. Fresh watermelon juice doesn't stay fresh for long, so while watermelon juice is a great summer drink, it shouldn't be at the expense of your summery watermelon sangria.

Luckily, it only takes a few simple steps to get the best juice for fresh watermelon cocktails. After blending, pressing, and straining the fruit, the remaining juice is a concentrated liquid full of flavor but without the unpleasant pulp. Fruity and delicious, watermelon juice can spruce up any classic cocktail for summer, bringing a rosy hue and a hint of sweetness that smacks of summertime.

The best of both worlds, muddling offers the full-on fruit flavor of watermelon without the added work (and clean up) that comes with pureeing. In mixology jargon, muddling is the act of crushing fresh ingredients like fruit or herbs with sugar to express the juices and draw out the flavors before mixing with alcohol.

While there's a subtle art to muddling fruit for cocktails, the trick is not to pulverize the ingredients, but to gently press and twist the fruit under a rounded muddler. This process will break down the flavorful natural oils while keeping the ingredients roughly intact. The whole thing goes from your cocktail shaker straight into your glass. Muddled drinks aren't smooth sippers; they're deliciously rustic drinks with added ingredients that continually impart flavor while you imbibe.

The mojito, perhaps the most renowned muddled drink, makes the most out of the cocktail muddler. Working lime and mint together with sugar, then mixing with white rum, a couple of cubes of fresh watermelon will add instant fruit flavor to the mix. Indeed, a watermelon mojito cocktail is summertime in a glass.

Mexico's most refreshing drink comes in a bevy of flavors, ranging from the well-known horchata and tamarind to lesser-known varieties like chia and lime. While flavors vary according to region, agua fresca's origins go as far back as the Aztec empire, and the drink's popularity hasn't slowed since.

Spanish for "fresh water," agua fresca is made by infusing fruit, flowers, seeds, or grain in sweetened water. One of its simpler variations calls for lime juice and a pinch of salt to enhance hydration and extract deeper flavors. In this version, as in others, agave is the preferred sweetener, but for added fruitiness, fresh watermelon is a guaranteed palate pleaser. For a refreshing combination, you might want to try a watermelon lime agua fresca.

If all that talk about lime and salt has you thinking of a margarita, well, me too. And now that it's watermelon season, there's really no stopping you from making your watermelon agua fresca cocktail dreams come true.

Simple syrup is a staple at any bar, home or otherwise, mainly because it's a necessary component for a balanced cocktail. Aptly named, simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water that's boiled for total dissolution. It's a recipe that's so simple it's hard to mess up, and because it's made to be a relatively flavorless sweetening agent, it's also the perfect canvas for experimentation.

To make a rich simple syrup, for instance, double up on sugar for added viscosity. If you're looking for a deeper, more pronounced essence of sugarcane, use Turbinado or Demerara sugar instead. Flavoring simple syrup with fruit, herbs, flowers, and spices is easy, and it's a great way to infuse natural flavoring in cocktails without weighing your drink down with additional components.

Since watermelon is the quintessential fruit flavor of summer, watermelon syrup is a fitting — and fruity — upgrade that'll make any classic cocktail match the season. Substituting simple syrup for watermelon-infused syrup would take the Tom Collins cocktail into watermelon lemonade territory, and the possibilities are practically endless when mixing with tequila.

Whether on TikTok or YouTube, we've all seen the videos where somebody decides to cut a hole in a watermelon only to stick a bottle of booze in it. While that could boost the flavor of a bottom-shelf liquor served in plastic, I cannot in good conscience recommend such rough and rash treatment of the watermelon or the booze in question. But if a showstopper is what you're after, you can still suit your creative whims while pleasing your palate by turning your watermelon into an edible punch bowl.

A watermelon punch bowl is the perfect vessel for a watermelon drink. Whether it be a cocktail or a mocktail like hwachae, the Korean fruit punch drink, a cored watermelon keeps the fresh fruit flavor on full blast, from the first sip to the last drop. The watermelon punch bowl is not only functional as the delectable and dazzling centerpiece for your next backyard barbecue, but it's delicious to boot.

While the fruit doesn't get a lot of play as a cocktail garnish, from pickling to candying, there's a lot you can do with watermelon rinds to make them more enticing and appetizing. Contrary to popular belief, watermelon rinds are edible as-is, and since you'll be using the flesh of the fruit in your cocktail, either as a syrup, puree, or muddled fresh, using watermelon rinds as a cocktail garnish is a great way to reduce food waste.

The rinds are not so palatable on their own, meaning that they may require some manipulation to look — and taste — the part. A pickled watermelon rind that's cut into slivers and preserved in a savory pickling liquid makes for the perfect accoutrement for a summer-ized "dirty" martini. However, if bright, acid-forward flavors aren't your thing, a candied watermelon rind would pair brilliantly with most classics, such as a julep, mojito, or fruit punch.

Whichever flavor suits your fancy, stop throwing away your watermelon rinds and punch up your cocktail glass instead. Not only is it an eye-catching homage to the summertime staple in your cocktail, it's a tasty treat to boot.

A watermelon sorbet is the ever-elegant, dessert-forward option for using watermelon in your summer cocktails. This option will require a little more time and dedication, but the final product is well worth the effort. While it's not for the faint of heart, if done right, an after-dinner cocktail with watermelon sorbet has the power to transform any backyard barbecue into a luxurious affair.

Similar to granita, sorbet is dairy-free, but its creamy texture and bursting fruit flavor make it an unmatched treat that can hold up to after-dinner liqueurs with bitter profiles such as Italian amari. When poured over watermelon sorbet, the cocktail-turned-dessert makes for a fruity homage to the affogato, but outfitted for summertime.

While it only takes two ingredients to make, sorbet's beloved texture comes from a churning process that's similar to ice cream. While granitas lean into shaved ice territory, for those who enjoy a creamy flavor top, opt for a two-ingredient watermelon sherbet recipe instead. 

Turning your fresh fruit into frozen fruit ensures your cocktail will stay cold and the flavor won't dilute. Whether cut into cubes or pureed and then poured into an ice tray, once frozen, these faux ice cubes serve as a creative way of maintaining the cocktail's integrity while packing a cold, fruit-flavored punch.

While it's a bad idea to refrigerate watermelon, if you're working with mealy or leftover fruit, cutting the flesh into chunks and then freezing them is a great way to repurpose those less-than-perfect melons. Watermelon makes a great candidate for freezing into cubes because of its sturdy yet soft structure. With porous flesh, watermelons have high levels of natural sugar and water, meaning that they'll soak up the boozy liquid well, while still having a relatively balanced flavor when you take a bite.

The cocktail hack that keeps begetting more cocktail hacks, the frozen fruit isn't just an "ice cube," it's a booze-saturated garnish swimming in your glass. So, while your drink may be done, if you're smart, you've got a cocktail-soaked, fruity bite waiting for you.

Nothing says summer like a frozen cocktail, and seeing as watermelon is the symbolic fruit of summertime, a combination of the two is a surefire way to a hydration station with a kick of jet fuel to boot. As long as you have a blender on hand, this is a one-stop shop way of getting watermelon in your glass without much planning or technical skill.

Thanks to their thick texture, larger portion, and added ingredients, blended cocktails are refreshing and filling, but they don't make for the most elegant offering. However, it's also a great way to use up mealy watermelons with endless options for customization.

Whether a creamy frozen watermelon cocktail or a smoky, sweet frozen watermelon mezcal margarita, the results are sure to please on a hot summer day. If your preferences tend to be fancy, frozen watermelon makes for a winning pair with wine, too, as evinced with a tropical wine slush.