Dragon Fruit And Watermelon Is The Summer Cocktail Combo You Need

When it comes to summer cocktails, we know that watermelon reigns supreme — from a watermelon Mojito to a watermelon Margarita, there are plenty of ways to integrate the summery fruit into delicious boozy drinks. But if you're looking to make a summer cocktail that is a bit more unique, but still super tasty, then your best bet is to combine watermelon with dragon fruit — at least according to the expert that Tasting Table spoke to. 

The expert in question is Jayson Goldstein, the Food and Beverage Director at YOTEL Boston's Vela Seaport and Deck 12. Goldstein noted that one of the perks of using dragon fruit is that it's a great way to bring in some natural, mild sweetness. He explained that, when it comes to sweetness level, dragon fruit is similar to kiwis or pears. Goldstein said, "When [we were] developing the Watermelon Cooler cocktail, we needed a bit of sweetness and didn't want to use sugar, so we added dragon fruit and that helped find the balance that we were looking for."

As for which spirit works best in a watermelon-dragon fruit cocktail, Goldstein recommended two options. He said, "We use a great citrus vodka, the Crop Harvest Earth Organic Meyer Lemon Vodka, but tequila would work well, too. If I were to use tequila as the spirit, I would tweak the recipe to create more of a sour and have it as a play on a Margarita."

We know that a citrusy vodka or a tequila are the best liquor matches for a watermelon-dragon fruit cocktail. But what about other ingredients? When asked what additional inclusions would enhance or balance the flavors, Jayson Goldstein had plenty of suggestions. "There are all sorts of bitters that one can use," he explained. "Citrus juices work well, but you need to add in the citrus a little bit at a time if you are looking to enhance the flavor of the main component, such as watermelon or other mild fruits, so as to not overpower the primary flavor." He also mentioned maintaining balance through sweet ingredients, such as simple syrup, raw sugars, honey, or agave nectar.

If you have some cocktail experience, you can play around with finding the right ratio of those ingredients — perhaps a mix of tequila, dragon fruit purée, watermelon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. Or, use a citrus-infused vodka to cut out the need for a citrus juice as well — so mix, say, lemon vodka, dragon fruit purée, watermelon juice, and your choice of sweetener. You can also adapt an established recipe. For example, add dragon fruit to our frozen watermelon mezcal Margarita (and swap out the mezcal for tequila if you want to stick to Goldstein's recommendation) or swap out the gin for a citrus vodka and add dragon fruit to our creamy frozen watermelon cocktail. And don't forget: There are four main types of dragon fruit to play around with!