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Watermelon Sangria

Watermelon sangria is a blush-pink summer pitcher drink made with fresh watermelon juice, dry rosé (or white wine), and vodka for a light, fruity kick. Blend-and-strain watermelon creates a smooth base, then chilled watermelon cubes, citrus slices, and mint float in every glass.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 170
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Watermelon and wine base
  • 4 cup fresh watermelon Cubed and seeded; reserve 2 cups for blending.
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) dry rosé or white wine Choose rosé for a deeper pink, or white wine for a lighter base.
  • 0.5 cup watermelon vodka or plain vodka
  • 0.25 cup triple sec
  • 2 tbsp honey or simple syrup
  • 1 lime Thinly sliced; for citrus float.
  • 1 lemon Thinly sliced; for citrus float.
  • 1 cup sparkling water or club soda Add right before serving for bubbles.
  • fresh mint sprigs for garnish Add per glass and a few on top of the pitcher if desired.

Equipment

  • 1 large pitcher
  • 1 fine mesh sieve
  • 1 blender

Method
 

Blend and strain watermelon juice
  1. Blend 2 cups of the fresh watermelon cubes until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to get about 1 cup of fresh watermelon juice.
  2. Keep the strained watermelon juice aside while you assemble the sangria base.
Build the sangria in a pitcher
  1. Add the watermelon juice, dry rosé or white wine, watermelon vodka (or plain vodka), triple sec, and honey (or simple syrup) to a large pitcher and stir to combine.
  2. Add the remaining watermelon cubes, thinly sliced lime, and thinly sliced lemon to the pitcher.
Chill to meld flavors
  1. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld and the sangria chills thoroughly.
Finish and serve
  1. Right before serving, top the pitcher with the sparkling water (or club soda), stir gently, and pour into ice-filled glasses.
  2. Garnish each glass with fresh mint sprigs and serve immediately.

Notes

For the clearest, smoothest base, strain the blended watermelon through a fine-mesh sieve to remove pulp. Refrigerate in a covered pitcher up to 2 days (the citrus and watermelon will soften over time); freezing is not recommended. For a lighter, alcohol-reduced option, use 1/2 cup vodka or replace it with an alcohol-free spirit and keep the remaining ingredients the same.