Nothing tastes more like summer than cold watermelon. Blended fresh and strained, it gives a light, pink juice that only needs lime for tension, a few mint leaves and a splash of soda to become a proper long drink.
200 g
watermelon seedless flesh, cubed
¾ oz
lime juice
¼ oz
simple syrup depending on the ripeness of the melon
4 leaves
mint leaves
2 oz
soda water
Garnish: Mint sprig and lime wheel · Ice: Ice cubes
Watermelon Cooler
Juicy and light with fresh watermelon, a clean lime sourness and a hint of mint. Barely sweet and very refreshing.
Watermelon drinks are part of summer traditions in many regions, from the Mexican agua fresca de sandía to fresh melon juices sold on the street across Asia and the Mediterranean. The basic idea is always the same: fresh fruit, water or ice, a little sugar and often lime.
The Watermelon Cooler is a bar version of this idea without a single inventor. It follows the cooler pattern of fruit, citrus, sweetness and soda over plenty of ice, and it has become a regular on summer menus because fresh watermelon juice is cheap, colourful and tastes good without any alcohol.
Watermelon is mostly water, so 200 g of flesh gives roughly 150 ml of strained juice.
Yes, but fresh juice tastes clearly better. Reduce the syrup, as bottled juices are often sweetened.
Blend and strain the juice up to a few hours ahead and keep it cold. Add soda and ice only when serving.
The perfect sound
Juicy watermelon fun on a hot day.
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