Watermelon Daiquiri on the Rocks

It’s time for summer’s last hurrah. I’ve been seeing some leaves just start to change color, the breezy evenings are perfect for walks, and we’re only days away from the equinox. It’s hard to let summer go. But with this sweet and fruity cocktail, you don’t have to quite yet. Soak up those last few moments with a watermelon daiquiri on the rocks.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission if you click through and buy something, at no additional cost to you! Learn More.

Watermelon is one of those quintessential fruits of the summer. It’s reminiscent of cookouts, checkered beach blankets on the grass, and the smell of sunscreen mixed with barbecue smoke.

In this cocktail recipe, fresh watermelon juice comes together with the traditional daiquiri ingredients: white rum and lime juice, to create a refreshing cocktail. Unlike other fruity daiquiris, this one is served on the rocks instead of frozen, which makes it perfect for the cooler late-summer weather.

What You Need to Get Started

You can easily find all of the ingredients for these watermelon daiquiris at your grocery store. You can also order online using Amazon Pantry, or try Amazon Fresh for grocery delivery.

• Produce: Watermelon, Lime
• From the Bar: White Rum
• Spice Rack: Salt
• Equipment: Masticating juicer or blender, mesh strainer, and silicone spatula; cocktail shaker, citrus juicer

How to Make Watermelon Juice

Before you can start mixing this refreshing cocktail, you will need to make some watermelon juice. I have never looked for pre-made watermelon juice for sale in my grocery store, although it might exist. However, you may also be able to get pre-cut melon from the produce department to save you some of the work.

There are two different ways to easily make watermelon juice. You can either use a masticating juicer to do the hard work for you. Or you can use a blender to make a puree, and then strain out the solids. I used the blender method here, but I have juiced watermelon before in my juicer, and it works really well. Just be sure you are following the instructions from the manufacturer.

To make the watermelon juice in a blender, add the melon chunk, and then pulse or blend on high until everything is broken down into a smooth puree. Then, pour the puree through a mesh strainer, into a large measuring cup.

You can do this in batches, so don’t overfill your strainer. Pour it only about half full, and then use a silicone spatula to press the juice through the strainer, leaving the solids behind. Move the pulp around until it stops dripping through the strainer, and then discard the pulp.

I found that four cups of watermelon chunks yielded about two cups of juice. However, this may depend on the size of the melon pieces, and how juicy your watermelon is.

Let’s Make a Watermelon Daiquiri

Now that you have your juice ready to go, it’s time to start making the cocktail! You will have some extra juice, which you can either drink on its own, water down into a spritzer with some club soda and lime, or use to make the next round of daiquiris!

Making this cocktail is super easy. But the bold color of the watermelon juice and the delicious bonus of a melon wedge on the rim make it look extra impressive. Use a sharp knife to cut a small slit, about an inch long, right in the point of the watermelon slice.

Use a double old fashioned or glass to serve these. However, if you don’t have any on hand, a highball or any clear glass will look great. I wouldn’t serve these in colored glassware, since the bright pink is part of what makes it so fun. Fill the glass about halfway with ice, and add the watermelon wedge on the rim.

Grab your cocktail shaker and mix these up to serve, one at a time. Fill it about halfway with ice. Then, add the watermelon juice, white rum, lime juice, and a pinch of salt into the shaker. The salt may sound counter-intuitive, but it helps bring out some of the sweetness of the melon.

Shake the ingredients vigorously, for about twenty seconds. When it’s ready, the metal shaker will be very cold, almost too cold to handle. The shaking motion helps to dilute the drink slightly, and it will combine everything together evenly.

Strain the freshly mixed cocktail into the prepared glass, and serve immediately. Watermelon juice can separate fairly quickly, so if you are making a few of these at once, you may want to give each one a quick stir just before serving them all.

Empty the used ice from the shaker and add fresh ice to make more than one. Luckily, this is fairly quick and easy, so there’s no problem mixing up a few for a late-season brunch or picnic dinner.

How to Serve a Watermelon Daiquiri

You can enjoy a daiquiri any time of the year, but the fresh watermelon juice really makes this one special. It’s best served as part of an outdoor gathering, maybe with some fun finger food and appetizers. Try vegan carrot “bacon” wrapped water chestnuts for a crowd.

You can also serve this sweet drink with brunch or dessert, paired with other fruity summer dishes, like a strawberry rhubarb crumble, fresh cherry cobbler, or peach and caramel corn crisp. For something less fruity, try it alongside classic fresh buttermilk pancakes.

Use Up Leftover Ingredients

• Eat any extra watermelon, cut into chunks, and sprinkled with a bit of sea salt.
• White rum is the base for some fantastic cocktails, like a raspberry lemon mojito.
• Use up lime juice in another fun twist on a classic, with spicy pineapple margaritas.

For some other fresh and fruity cocktails, try a sweet and spicy paloma, bourbon mint lemonade, or cucumber basil gin cocktail.

Special Equipment

• Masticating juicer or blender
• Mesh strainer
• Silicone spatula
• Cocktail shaker
• Citrus juicer

Shop This Post

• Glasses
• Pyrex measuring cup
• Trivet