Top 10 Watermelon Day Cocktails For 2021

Another cocktail day? No, it’s actually National Watermelon Day on Aug. 3. Which means it’s a good day—and month—to offer some special watermelon cocktails as the summer draws to a close. Here are the top 10 watermelon drink recipes that we came across this year—in no particular order. (If you need more, here’s the watermelon roundup from 2020— and a bonus cocktail made with rye.

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Noah’s Ark

Course Drinks

Keyword arak, mastiha, watermelon

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ oz. Zachlawi Dry Arak
• ¼ oz. Omhpiko Mastiha liquor
• 2 oz. Fresh homemade watermelon juice
• ½ oz. Lime
• Cucumber strip
• Watermelon cube
• Mint
• Zaatar salt rim

Instructions

• Mix equal amounts of zaatar and salt in a shallow bowl.
• Rub a watermelon cube around half the rim of a tall glass.
• Dip one side of the watermelon cube in the zaatar mix; leave watermelon cube to the side.
• Combine arak, mastiha liquor, watermelon juice, lime juice and a cup of ice in a shaker.
• Shake vigorously.
• Strain over fresh ice into glass.
• Garnish with a cucumber strip, fresh mint and the watermelon cube.

Notes

The mixologists at ZiZi in New York created this recipe.

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Ginger Spiced Watermelon Mojito

Course Drinks

Keyword ginger beer, rum, watermelon

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. White rum
• 3 oz. Fresh-pressed watermelon juice
• Splash of simple syrup
• Ginger beer

Instructions

• Muddle the lime and mint together.
• Add in the white rum and a splash of simple syrup.
• Strain over a glass of fresh ice.
• Top with a splash of ginger beer.
• Garnish with a watermelon slice, fresh mint sprig and a lime wedge.

Notes

The mixologists at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa created this recipe.

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Kentucky Devil

Course Drinks

Keyword Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, lemon, watermelon, Wild Turkey Bourbon

Ingredients

• 6 parts Wild Turkey Bourbon
• 1 part Simple syrup
• 3 parts Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
• 2 parts Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 4 parts Fresh-squeezed watermelon juice

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients into pitcher.
• Add ice and stir.
• Garnish individual servings with small watermelon slices.

Notes

The mixologists at Wild Turkey created this recipe.

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Watermelon Piquín

Course Drinks

Keyword St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Tequila Cazadores Blanco, watermelon

Ingredients

• 1 ½ parts Tequila Cazadores Blanco
• 3 parts Watermelon juice
• 1 part Fresh lime juice
• ½ part St. Germain liqueur
• Chile Piquín rim

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake.
• Pour into glass with piquín rim.
• Garnish with watermelon slice.

Notes

The mixologists at Tequila Cazadores created this recipe.

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Summer Watermelon Cooler

Course Drinks

Keyword Bacardí Superior rum, grapefruit, watermelon

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. Bacardí Superior rum
• ¾ oz. Watermelon juice
• 2 oz. Grapefruit soda
• Blueberries and lime wheel as a garnish

Instructions

• Fill a tall glass with ice.
• Add all ingredients.
• Give a quick stir to combine.
• Garnish with blueberries on a cocktail pick and a lime wheel or wedge.

Notes

The mixologists at Bacardí created this recipe.

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Basil Watermelon Cooler

Course Drinks

Keyword ginger, Grey Goose vodka, watermelon

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. Grey Goose vodka
• 4 Basil leaves
• 1 Ginger slice peeled
• 2 chunks of Watermelon
• ½ oz. Fresh lime juice
• ½ oz. Simple syrup
• Ginger ale

Instructions

• In a cocktail shaker, muddle three basil leaves with a ginger slice, one watermelon chunk and simple syrup.
• Add ice, vodka and lime juice.
• Shake well and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
• Top with ginger ale.
• Garnish with the remaining watermelon chunk and basil leaves.

Notes

The mixologists at Grey Goose created this recipe.

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French Twist with Watermelon

Course Drinks

Keyword Aperol, Courvoisier V.S.O.P. Cognac, hibiscus syrup, watermelon

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ parts Courvoisier V.S.O.P. Cognac
• ½ parts Aperol
• ½ parts Monin hibiscus syrup
• ¼ parts Fresh lime juice
• ¾ parts Watermelon juice
• 4 Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

• Lightly muddle basil in a mixing tin.
• Build the rest of the cocktail and add ice.
• Lightly shake and strain over fresh ice in a double Old Fashioned glass.
• Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Notes

The mixologists at Courvoisier created this recipe.

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Monkey Business

Course Drinks

Keyword gin, Gin XIII, lime, watermelon

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Gin XIII
• ½ oz. Simple syrup
• ½ oz. Lime juice
• 2 oz. Watermelon juice

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice.
• Shake and strain into a rocks glass.
• Garnish with a watermelon cube.

Notes

The mixologists at Gin XIII created this recipe.

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Campfire Cookout Cooler

Course Drinks

Keyword Angostura bitters, ginger, watermelon, Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
• 1 ¼ oz. Fresh-pressed watermelon
• ½ oz. Fresh ginger syrup
• ½ oz. Fresh lime juice
• 3 dashes Rhubarb bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake.
• Pour all ingredients into glass over fresh rocks.
• Top with soda water.
• Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel and blue cornflowers.

Notes

Josh Cameron of Boulton & Watt created this recipe.

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Pastel Piña Colada

Course Drinks

Keyword coconut, Koloa Kauai white rum, pineapple, rum, watermelon

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Koloa Kauai white rum
• 3 oz. Pineapple juice
• 1 oz. Cream of coconut
• 1 cup Fresh watermelon cubed
• 1 cup Ice

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to blender.
• Blend until liquid.
• Pour into tall glass.
• Garnish with fresh fruit.

Notes

The mixologists at Koloa created this recipe.