Watermelon Mojito

This watermelon mojito is incredibly refreshing – made with fresh lime juice, watermelon puree, white rum, and muddled mint, it is the perfect summer cocktail.

Lightly sweetened with simple syrup and watermelon puree, this mojito has the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and refreshing. This recipe makes 2 cocktails, but it is easily scaleable if you want to make more or less!

Key ingredients

• Watermelon: watermelon is the special ingredient in this mojito! Cubed watermelon is blended and then strained for a smooth watermelon puree.
• Mint leaves: fresh mint leaves are muddled to release all that great flavor.
• Limes: make sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice (not bottled) for optimal results.
• White rum: this drink should be made with a white rum like Bacardi, not a dark rum.
• Simple syrup: simple syrup is made from one part water and one part granulated sugar. Use it to sweeten the cocktail to your liking.
• Seltzer: seltzer is added at the very end to top off each glass.

How to make a watermelon mojito

1. Make the simple syrup. In a small sauce pan, combine the water and granulated sugar. Stir on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
2. Puree the watermelon. Add the watermelon to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture to discard of the pulp.
3. Make the cocktail. In a cocktail shaker, add the mint and gently muddle. Add the rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice. Give it a good shake.
4. Pour. Split the mixture over two glasses filled with ice. Add the watermelon puree to each glass, followed by the seltzer.
5. Taste and adjust! Gently stir then taste and adjust! Make it more sweet with more simple syrup, more alcoholic, more watermelon-y with more puree, etc.

Recipe notes

1. Use a jigger. A jigger is basically a measuring cup. They typically have two sides that measure either a half ounce, one ounce, or two ounces, but all jiggers differ. It helps you ensure you are measuring the ingredients properly.
2. Fresh ingredients are key. Make sure to use freshly squeezed (not bottled) lime juice, along with fresh mint leaves. Using fresh ingredients will not only enhance the flavor, but it will result in an incredibly refreshing cocktail.
3. Strain the watermelon puree. To discard of the pulp, make sure to run the blended watermelon through a fine mesh strainer.
4. Taste and adjust! Cocktails are not a one size fits all recipe, so feel free to taste and adjust the cocktail to your liking.

Tools needed

None of these tools are completely necessary, but I have found that having a cocktail shaker set makes the process of mixing a cocktail much easier. The tools are:

1. A jigger. To me, this is the most important one. Cocktail recipe ingredients are often measured by the ounce or half ounce, and a jigger is essentially a measuring device with those volumes on each side.
2. A cocktail shaker. I love having one, but it is not necessary. You can always put the ingredients in a large pitcher and just stir them together. The one great thing about a cocktail shaker is that it has a built in strainer, so it allows you to strain out all of the bits when you’re pouring into your glass. This is just something to consider if you are not using one.
3. A muddler. A muddler is helpful for the mint, but also is not necessary. If you don’t have one, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula.

Baking in grams

While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.

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