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Watermelon Sangria

Watermelon sangria is a blush-pink party pitcher drink made by blending fresh watermelon, straining it into juice, then mixing it with rosé (or white) and vodka for a bright, fruit-forward watermelon cocktail. Chill for hours so the flavors meld, then finish with sparkling water for a light, refreshing sip.
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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: 230
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Watermelon sangria base
  • 4 cup fresh watermelon cubed and seeded
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) dry rosé or white wine
  • 0.5 cup watermelon vodka or plain vodka
  • 0.25 cup triple sec
  • 2 tbsp honey or simple syrup
  • 1 lime thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced
  • 1 cup sparkling water or club soda
  • 1 fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 pitcher
  • 1 fine mesh sieve
  • 1 blender

Method
 

Make watermelon juice
  1. Blend 2 cups of fresh watermelon cubes until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve to get 1 cup of fresh watermelon juice.
  2. Set the watermelon juice aside at room temperature while you prepare the pitcher.
Mix the sangria
  1. Combine the watermelon juice, rosé wine, watermelon vodka (or plain vodka), triple sec, and honey (or simple syrup) in a large pitcher and stir to combine.
  2. Add the remaining watermelon cubes, thinly sliced lime, and thinly sliced lemon to the pitcher.
Chill
  1. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill and allow the flavors to meld; look for a slightly denser, more cohesive blush-pink color.
Finish and serve
  1. Right before serving, add sparkling water (or club soda) to the pitcher and stir gently.
  2. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish each with fresh mint sprigs; serve immediately for the best fresh bite.

Notes

Pro tip: chill the pitcher uncovered for 10 minutes after adding the citrus so the slices don’t float as aggressively, then cover and refrigerate. Store covered in the fridge up to 2 days; mint garnish is best added fresh right before serving. Freezing is not recommended because watermelon and citrus texture changes after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, swap honey/syrup for a no-sugar simple syrup or reduce it to 1 tbsp while keeping the rest the same.