Watermelon sangria is a refreshing adult beverage made with fresh watermelon juice, crisp white wine, and more, loaded with fresh fruits and sweetened with a honey-mint simple syrup. This thirst quencher is perfect for your next cookout, barbecue, or gathering.
This recipe is intended only for those of legal drinking age.
What Is Watermelon Sangria?
A watermelon sangria uses fresh watermelon juice paired with crisp white wine to make a refreshing cocktail. This recipe contains ample spirits, like my other sangria recipe, because we’re grown and pay bills.
Chunks of fresh watermelon and berries complete this cocktail and give your daily fruit requirements. Or whatever.
This recipe is also a must at all of your gatherings, but especially so if you’re celebrating Juneteenth.
Join me in celebrating Juneteenth with more than 30 other Black culinary creators. Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day, signifying the final emancipation of those enslaved in the US announced in 1865. This year, we are celebrating “Freedom Day” by offering a delightful selection of mains, sides, desserts, and refreshing drinks that are perfect for backyard barbecues and summer gatherings with friends and family.
Join us in honoring the legacy of progress and freedom by cooking and sharing these recipes. Additionally, you can easily follow each participant by using the hashtag #JuneteenthCookout2023 on Instagram.
Where Does Sangria Come From?
Authentic Iberian sangria doesn’t have a particular country of origin. The Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) has many versions of sangria, with each country, town, village, and family making its own version. Sangria is a wine drink mixed with pieces of fresh fruit. Sangría means “bleeding” in Spanish, a name that comes from the drink’s appearance. Red, dry wine is the most commonly used wine in sangria, hence its name.
White wine sangrias are lighter than the red versions, so they’re commonly served during the summer.
What Do I Need To Make Watermelon Sangria?
To make watermelon sangria, you need ripe watermelon, watermelon vodka, tequila blanco, triple sec, a good-quality Riesling, honey, fresh mint, lime juice, and your favorite berry (or berries).
You also need a high-powered blender to make the watermelon juice which is the base for this sangria.
Do I Have To Sweeten Sangria?
I prefer to lightly sweeten my watermelon sangria with a honey-mint simple syrup. Honey tastes less sweet than granulated sugar, making a perfectly balanced simple syrup. Honey pairs beautifully with watermelon, as does mint, so I always use this simple syrup in this recipe. You can omit the honey-mint simple syrup from your watermelon sangria if you prefer less sweet cocktails.
Add honey and water to a 1-quart saucepan. Bring this mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to encourage it to mix. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, allow it to cook for 1 minute.
Remove the pot from the stove and strip the leaves of fresh mint from their stems into the simple syrup. Allow the mint leaves to steep in the hot simple syrup for at least 15 minutes.
How Far Ahead Can I Make The Honey-Mint Simple Syrup?
I recommend making the honey-mint simple syrup at least 2 hours before you add it to the watermelon sangria. Prepare it a day or two ahead and leave the mint in the syrup to infuse as long as possible. The longer you infuse the mint, the more your watermelon sangria will have a delicate floral flavor.
If you prepare the honey-mint simple syrup more than a couple of hours ahead, pour it (with the mint) into a jar. Store the jar, covered, in the fridge until you’re ready to add it to the watermelon sangria.
How Do I Pick A Sweet Watermelon?
Pick a watermelon with a creamy, dark orange spot on the rind. This “field spot” tells you that the watermelon was left on the vine to ripen longer. A watermelon with large webbing and a dull rind is sweeter as well. I prefer to buy seedless watermelons because seeds make the juice slightly bitter. If you can’t get your hands on one, using a watermelon with seeds is okay.
Remove the watermelon rind from the fruit, then cut the melon into chunks that are 1/2 inch big (smaller than pictured). Add these chunks to a blender in parts and blend them until completely smooth. I have to do it in thirds.
Can I Use A Different Melon For This Sangria Recipe?
As you blend each batch of watermelon chunks, pour the mixture into a fine-mesh sieve lined with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Allow the juice to drain from the pureed watermelon while you blend the next batch. After you blend the next batch, squeeze the remaining juice from the watermelon pulp into the kitchen towel. Watermelon is weird because it becomes so mushy when you blend it that it can seep through the fibers in the towel. Stop squeezing it when you feel the mass of fibers from the fruit. This way, you don’t have too much separation in your watermelon sangria later.
Continue pouring, draining, and squeezing the juice from subsequent batches of pureed watermelon.
You can replace the watermelon in this sangria recipe with cantaloupe, honeydew, or even pineapple.
How Far Ahead Can I Mix The Watermelon Sangria?
After you make the watermelon juice, sweeten it to taste with the honey-mint simple syrup. I add all of it to my watermelon sangria, but you can add as little or as much as you like. After straining the honey-mint simple syrup into the watermelon juice, discard the mint leaves.
I recommend preparing watermelon sangria a few hours (4) before you plan to serve it. The farther ahead you mix it, the longer the ingredients blend and mellow out.
Can I Substitute Or Omit Any Of The Other Ingredients?
Add the watermelon vodka, tequila blanco, triple sec, and lime juice to the watermelon juice. Use a whisk to blend these.
You can replace the watermelon vodka with plain vodka or white rum, the tequila blanco with white rum or vodka, and the triple sec with orange curaçao or Cointreau. In this recipe, you can also replace the lime juice with lemon juice or orange juice.
How Do I Serve Watermelon Sangria?
Finally, add your favorite berries and the remaining chunks of watermelon to your pitcher of watermelon sangria. Again, allow the watermelon sangria to rest for 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors of the fruits to blend with the rest of the sangria.
I love preparing a skewered berry and mint garnish, but it’s not necessary. The drink is gorgeous enough on its own.
Always serve sangria in red wine goblets since they have a large bowl. The stem of the glass keeps your watermelon sangria from getting hot from your body heat, and its wide mouth allows you to fish out the boozy sangria fruits.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover watermelon sangria in a covered container in the fridge for three days. If you can’t drink it all within three days (bless you), strain the sangria into wine bottles and store it for up to one year. Eat the fruits and consider it a fruit salad or something.
What Recipes Go Well With This Watermelon Sangria?
The color red is an especially significant symbol for Juneteenth as it represents resilience, perseverance, and the bloodshed of African Americans in the fight for freedom. Red foods adorn many Juneteenth tables, and recipes like Red Velvet Bread Pudding, Cherry Tabbouleh, and Watermelon Sangria serve as powerful reminders of the struggles and triumphs of the African American community. To make Juneteenth more epic, be sure to celebrate with All Red Everything from my fellow Black food creators:
Dash of Jazz’s Hibiscus Honey BBQ Sauce
Good Food Baddie’s Mango Habanero Wings
Peaches 2 Peaches’s Red Velvet Bread Pudding
Meiko And The Dish’s Juneteenth Red Sherbet Punch
Savor and Sage’s Cherry Tabbouleh
Heal Me Delicious’s Strawberry Cookies
Serve this watermelon sangria with one of the following recipes if you’re looking to round out a cocktail party:
Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese in Puff Pastry
Pico de Gallo and tortilla chips
Tabbouleh with toasted pita chips
To enhance a delicious dinner, serve this sangria with one of these main courses:
Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce
Garlic Herb Grilled Lamb Chops
Italian Ratatouille
However you enjoy this Watermelon Sangria recipe, do so responsibly. I want you around for my future shenanigans.
This watermelon sangria will be a hit at your next Juneteenth celebration, BBQ, or cookout, so save it for reference. Share this post with the watermelon lovers in your life, and drop a comment below to let me know what you think of the recipe.
Watermelon Sangria
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- high-powered blender
- fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
For the Honey-Mint Simple Syrup
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) honey
- 1/2 cup (120 milliters) water
- 2 bunches (30 leaves) mint
For the Watermelon Sangria
- 6 pounds (2.75 kilograms) watermelon diced, 1 pound (455 grams) reserved
- 750 milliliter bottle dry riesling
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) watermelon vodka
- 2 large limes juiced (about 1/3 cup or 80 milliliters)
- 1/4 cup cup (60 milliliters) tequila blanco
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) triple sec
Fruit Add Ins
- 6 ounces (170 grams) blackberries
- 6 ounces (170 grams) blueberries
- 6 ounces (170 grams) raspberries
Instructions
Prepare the Honey-Mint Simple Syrup (Can Be Done A Week Ahead)
- Add the honey and water to a 1-quart saucepan. Bring this mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to encourage it to mix. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, allow it to cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the pot from the stove and add the fresh mint leaves to the simple syrup. Allow the mint leaves to steep in the hot simple syrup for at least 15 minutes.
Make the Watermelon Juice
- Remove the watermelon rind from the fruit, then dice the melon into 1/2 cubes. Reserve 1 pound (455 grams) of this diced watermelon to add to the finished sangria.
- Add the remaining watermelon to a blender in parts and blend, in batches if necessary, until completely smooth. As you blend each batch of watermelon chunks, pour the mixture into a fine-mesh sieve lined with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth.
- Allow the juice to drain from the pureed watermelon while you blend the next batch. After you blend the next batch, squeeze the remaining juice from the watermelon pulp into the kitchen towel.
- Continue pouring, draining, and squeezing the juice from subsequent batches of pureed watermelon.
- After you make the watermelon juice, sweeten it to taste by straining in the honey-mint simple syrup. Discard the mint leaves.
Mix the Watermelon Sangria (Begin 2 Hours Ahead)
- Add the dry riesling, fresh lime juice. watermelon vodka, tequila blanco, and triple sec to the watermelon juice, using a whisk to combine them.
- Add the remaining chunks of watermelon, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries to a serving pitcher. Carefully, fill the pitcher with the watermelon juice mixture.
- Allow the watermelon sangria to rest for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors of the fruits to blend with the rest of the sangria. Stir the watermelon sangria before serving in red wine glasses with a large bowl.
Notes
Swaps and Subsitutions:
- You can replace the watermelon in this sangria recipe with cantaloupe, honeydew, or pineapple.
- You can replace the watermelon vodka with plain vodka or white rum.
- Swap the tequila blanco with white rum or vodka.
- Replace the triple sec with orange curaçao or Cointreau.
- You can replace the lime juice with lemon juice or orange juice.
Tips and Techniques:
- I recommend making the honey-mint simple syrup at least 2 hours before you add it to the watermelon sangria. Prepare it a day or two ahead and leave the mint in the syrup to infuse as long as possible.
- The longer you infuse the mint, the more your watermelon sangria will have a delicate floral flavor.
- If you prepare the honey-mint simple syrup more than a couple of hours ahead, pour it (with the mint) into a jar. Store the jar, covered, in the fridge until you're ready to add it to the watermelon sangria.
- Pick a watermelon with a creamy, dark orange spot on the rind. This "field spot" tells you that the watermelon was left on the vine to ripen longer.
- A watermelon with large webbing and a dull rind is sweeter.
- You can add as little or as much of the honey-mint simple syrup as you like.
- When served in red wine glasses, the stem of the glass keeps your watermelon sangria from getting hot from your body heat, and its wide mouth allows you to fish out the boozy sangria fruits.
Storage Instructions:
- Store leftover watermelon sangria in a covered container in the fridge for three days.
- If you can't finish it within three days strain the sangria into wine bottles and store it for up to one year.
Nutrition
I love watermelon drinks. I’ve never had a watermelon sangria before but I tried this recipe and it was amazing! Definitely keeping it on hand for our next game night.
It’s a great recipe to make ahead, Bianca!