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The watermelon smash is a refreshing summer drink that pairs melon with lime, rum and vodka. Serve over crushed ice!
Here’s a watermelon drink idea that’s the definition of refreshing: the Watermelon Smash! This fruity spin on the classic Whiskey Smash is delicately sweet, the best combination of pure melon with fresh mint. Pairing vodka and rum adds intrigue in flavor (though you can opt for just vodka for simplicity). Serve with crushed ice, and it’s a stunning signature drink for sipping poolside or next to the grill.
What’s a watermelon smash?
The watermelon smash is a spin on the Whiskey Smash using watermelon, fresh mint, and vodka. The Whiskey Smash originated in the Victorian era as a cooling summer cocktail, and was first published in a bartender guide in 1887. That first smash had lemon, mint, whiskey, and sweetener, and served with crushed ice. Many variations have popped up over time, like the Berry Vodka Smash and the Gin Basil Smash.
The watermelon smash is another fruity spin: for this recipe we used both vodka and rum to bring extra nuance in flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Watermelon cubes (or watermelon juice)
- Fresh mint
- Vodka
- White rum
- Lime juice
- Simple syrup
- Crushed ice
How to make crushed ice!
The most characteristic part of a smash cocktail? The crushed ice! What’s the best way to crush ice? Luckily, we’ve tried a bunch of methods and found the best way. And no: you don’t have to whack at ice with a rolling pin! Here’s the best way to crush ice:
- Place the ice in a blender.
- Fill the blender about halfway with cold water. This is the important part! The water helps everything blend to a uniform size.
- Pulse until it’s uniformly crushed! Then strain. Pick out any large chunks with your fingers, but this method should result in a great texture.
How to make a watermelon smash: 3 tips
Once you’ve got your crushed ice, let’s get started! Here are a few tips for making this drink (or skip right to the recipe below):
- Use watermelon cubes or make the juice. If you’re planning to make more than one drink, make Watermelon Juice in a blender first.
- Muddle the mint gently to release the oils. Here are all our tips on How to Muddle Mint, including equipment.
- Use vodka and white rum for best flavor, or go just vodka. We love the flavor combination of both! But if you don’t have rum on hand, just vodka is good too.
More watermelon drinks
Watermelon is our favorite summer fruit for cocktails! Here are a few more of our top watermelon drink ideas:
- Add tequila and salt for a Watermelon Margarita
- Make a big pitcher of Watermelon Sangria
- Add vodka for a Watermelon Martini or Watermelon Vodka Cocktail
- Grab your gin for a Watermelon Cocktail with Gin
Watermelon Smash
The watermelon smash is a refreshing summer drink that pairs melon with lime, rum and vodka. Serve over crushed ice!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped watermelon (or ¼ cup watermelon juice)
- 4 large mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1 ounce* vodka
- 1 ounce white rum (or use all vodka)
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons simple syrup
- Crushed ice, for serving
Instructions
- Make the crushed ice.
- Add the mint to a cocktail shaker and muddle it gently. Add the watermelon cubes and use the muddler to release all of the juice. (If you’re using watermelon juice, simply muddle the mint first then add the juice in Step 2.)
- Add the vodka, rum, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill with ice and shake until cold.
- Fill a lowball glass with the crushed ice, then strain in the drink. Garnish with additional watermelon slices and mint.
Notes
*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
great summer cocktail, love the watermelon in this, very nice, thank you!