Name: Watermelon Sangría
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 14 cups watermelon cubes (1 ½-inch pieces, from ½ [22- to 24-lb.] watermelon); 1 (750-milliliter) chilled bottle dry rosé wine; 4 cups melon balls (1-inch pieces, such as cantaloupe, honeydew, and red or yellow watermelon); .5 cup (4 oz.) elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)

Watermelon Sangría

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Simple, but impressive.

Karen Schroeder-Rankin

Published on July 7, 2021

Watermelon Sangría — Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Karen Schroeder-Rankin; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Active Time:

25 mins

Chill Time:

2 hrs

Total Time:

2 hrs 25 mins

Servings:

We call this summertime in a glass. Combining fresh watermelon, rosé wine, and St. Germain (an elderflower liqueur), our Watermelon Sangría is wonderfully floral and delicate.

Firm and crunchy, red seedless watermelon has an intense, candy-like sweetness (and no seeds), making it ideal for drinks. It's the star of the show in our Watermelon Sangría, an ideal summertime beverage. The sweetness level of the sangría will depend on how ripe your watermelon is; a watermelon harvested at peak ripeness will be nice and sweet, which is why we cut this drink with dry rosé. St. Germain adds lovely floral notes to this sangría, rounding out the flavor profile while keeping it light and refreshing.

We love to add spheres of various melons—ranging in hue from red to yellow—to this pretty pitcher drink, adding both substance and color. Simply use a melon baller to create spheres of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew—store the balled fruit in the fridge or the freezer to make a fruity version of "ice." The melon balls also act as a little snack at the end of each glass.

Festive and refreshing with a light touch of booze, this drink is meant for summertime sipping. This watermelon rosé cocktail will be a hit at any ladies' lunch or afternoon tea. Save any extra watermelon juice for another batch or drink it the next day to stay hydrated.

Ingredients

14 cups watermelon cubes (1 ½-inch pieces, from ½ [22- to 24-lb.] watermelon)
1 (750-milliliter) chilled bottle dry rosé wine
4 cups melon balls (1-inch pieces, such as cantaloupe, honeydew, and red or yellow watermelon)
½ cup (4 oz.) elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)

Directions

Working in batches, process watermelon cubes in a blender until smooth, about 30 seconds per batch. Pour blended watermelon through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, and discard solids. (You may need to stir the processed watermelon gently to help strain it, but don't press on the pulp.) Store watermelon juice in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days; shake well before using.
Place chilled rosé, melon balls, elderflower liqueur, and 2 cups watermelon juice in a large pitcher; stir to combine. (Reserve remaining watermelon juice for another use.) Chill sangría at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before serving.