The Prep Tip To Remember When Making Fresh Watermelon Cocktails

Fruit cocktails are usually the realm of refreshing tropical flavors — the limes and passion fruits of the world — but one of the most famous summertime fruits, watermelon, is strangely lacking in representation. Maybe it's the lighter flavor, maybe it's the regional tastes of the people producing warm-weather mixed drinks, but unlike a margarita or a hurricane, there is no popular signature cocktail that features watermelon as the main flavor. But there is also another potential explanation: Watermelon juice just isn't that easy to get your hands on.

Fresh squeezed watermelon juice isn't something you find on a lot of grocery shelves, and if you find watermelon at all, it's often heavy with added sugar. If you want fresh watermelon flavor, you need to go to the source. So Tasting Table reached out to an expert, Jayson Goldstein, the food and beverage director at YOTEL Boston's Vela Seaport and Deck 12, for his advice on how to best get some smooth juice out of those unwieldy melons.

To get the best watermelon juice for your cocktails, Goldstein says, "I like to blend the meat of the watermelon to a fine pulp then push the juice through a fine mesh strainer to get the larger pulp out." Once the watermelon juice is strained, however, Goldstein tells us that it can still separate easily, so when you are ready to make your cocktail, "It is important to shake it well before mixing."

Getting the best juice for your watermelon cocktail also means choosing the right watermelon from the grocery store. There are quite a few tips for picking out the perfect watermelon, but if you are looking for juiciness above all else, two time-tested methods are knocking on your watermelon and weighing it. Juicier melons will be heavier than melons of the same size when weighed, while ripe melons with the most liquid will sound hollow when knocked on, not high-pitched and dense. Once you have juiced your watermelons, Goldstein notes that its still important to prioritize its freshness, as watermelon juice doesn't have a long shelf life. He said, "We tend to make the watermelon sour every 2-3 days to keep it fresh."

Then there is the fun part: actually making your drink. If you want to highlight the fresh watermelon flavor, a watermelon mojito will allow the more delicate taste to shine through, and you'll get that classic combo of watermelon and mint as a nice bonus. Of course, tequila is also a nice pairing that won't overwhelm your juice, so a watermelon marg is a must. Want to go really light and refreshing? Mix watermelon juice with sparkling wine and an aperitif like Lillet Blanc for the ultimate summer spritz.