Winter is coming. With only one real weekend of summer left, say goodbye with a batch of Watermelon Coolers!

I have made this cocktail (often!) for several years and I realized it was a thing when the first question after a dinner invitation was “Will you be making the watermelon drink?”. My daughter in law loves them so much that they became her signature drink (The Blushing Bride—so pink and pretty!) at the wedding.

So, yes. Yes, I will be making the watermelon drink. Give me an excuse and I will whip up a big old pitcher of them! They are everything that is right about summer cocktails….cold and fruity and refreshing. And they go down easy….probably too easy. You have been warned. Ok, I know some of you tend to skim through the paragraphs, so just in case:

You have been warned!

Bonus: these cocktails feel special, but everything can be made in advance. I often mix the two alcohols together to streamline assembly and sometimes even combine everything (except for the sparkling water) in advance.

Ingredient Notes

Rum: Either light or dark rum works well in this recipe. 

Watermelon juice: For simplicity, make the juice in advance; just be sure to stir well before using.

Sparkling water: My store brand (Stop and Shop) is sweetened with aspartame and I find it has a stronger flavor and is sweeter than a LaCroix type seltzer, so taste and adjust as needed.

Print

Watermelon Coolers

A fruity, refreshing, summer cocktail.

Course Drinks

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C water
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 2 oz watermelon juice
• 3/4 oz rum
• 3/4 oz melon vodka Grey Goose
• 1 oz lime sparkling water
• mint sprigs to garnish

Instructions

• For mint simple syrup: Combine water, sugar and mint in microwave safe container. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Let it stand for a few minutes and strain.
• For cocktail: Combine 1/2 ounce of the mint simple syrup, watermelon juice, rum, and vodka in an ice filled glass. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Watermelon Coolers Pictorial

Make watermelon juice by processing chunks in a blender.  If you make it in advance, be sure to stir before using. 

Taste the cocktail and adjust the amount of simple syrup, depending on the sweetness of your watermelon.

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