Watermelon Sangria (With Fresh Watermelon)
Summertime means cookouts, pool parties and fun in the sun. And what’s a better way to cool down than with a refreshing drink? This watermelon sangria is perfect for any summer gathering. It’s easy to make and delicious! So grab your favorite pitcher (or drink dispenser) and let’s get started.
Sangria is one of my all time favorite party drinks.
So when I was looking for a signature cocktail for my flamingo party, this watermelon sangria was the perfect choice.
It’s a light and refreshing wine punch that’s not too sweet.
Made with fresh watermelon that is soaked in rosé wine and served with watermelon ice cubes, it’s super tasty!
You have to make it a few hours ahead of time to give the flavors time to blend.
But that’s okay in my books because it saves me time during the party. No running around trying to mix drinks all night.
To make it easy for everyone to help themselves, I love to mix Sangria in a drink dispenser. That way there are a lot fewer spills to clean up.
Ingredients
- alcohol – ½ cup watermelon schnapps, 2 bottles ros wine – Choose the wine based on how sweet you want your sangria to be.
- fruit – 1 large watermelon, 3 limes
- soda – 1 750 mL bottle club soda
- garnish – (optional) fresh mint
Substitutions
- If you want more fruit, try adding some strawberries or raspberries along with the watermelon.
- Add ½ cup rum for a stronger, more tropical taste.
- Add an additional ½ cup watermelon schnapps for a stronger watermelon flavor.
- If you prefer sweeter cocktails, use 7-up or sprite instead of the club soda
How to make watermelon sangria
Prep the watermelon
As with many sangrias, most of the work is in prepping the fruit.
Then we’ll work on the watermelon. You’ll need it for 3 things:
- To freeze for ice cubes.
- To soak in the alcohol.
- As garnish on the glasses.
Cut the watermelon in half.
1 | Make watermelon ice cubes
We’ll cut the first half into cubes for freezing.
Here’s how I do it (but it’s not the only way, of course):
- Cut slices that are about 1 inch thick.
- Remove the rind.
- Cut strips across the slices that are about 1 inch wide.
- Then do the same cuts in the other direction so that you end up with cubes of watermelon.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the watermelon cubes in a single layer.
If they won’t all fit on one layer, you can cover them with another sheet of parchment paper and add a second layer.
Cover them with plastic wrap or foil and put them in the freezer until frozen, at least a couple of hours.
2 | Cut the soaking watermelon
We’ll use most of the rest of the watermelon for soaking in the alcohol.
I like to use wedge slices for the watermelon that’s soaked in the alcohol. I think they look really pretty in the pitcher.
But you can cut them any way you want to. They will still taste the same 🙂
If you want to do the wedges like I do:
- Cut 3 or 4 slices that are about 1/2 inch thick out of the widest part of the watermelon. Be sure to leave some watermelon left to make garnish out of.
- Then cut them into 6 or 8 pieces each, so they look like pie slices. Make sure that they are small enough to fit into the pitcher or drink dispenser you’ll be using for the sangria.
3 | Make the garnish
For the garnish, I use the same wedge shape as above. But much smaller in size.
To do this:
- Cut slices that are about 1/4 inch thick.
- Go around the outside of each slice and cut small triangles so that each one has rind on the outside. They should be about 2″ to 3″ long.
- Cut slits in one side of each triangle so they’ll fit over the side of the glasses.
You’ll have some watermelon left over in the middle. You can either eat it. Or cut it into cubes and add it to the pitcher for extra watermelon flavor.
Thinly slice 2 of the limes.
Wrap the watermelon wedges and lime slices in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
Soak the watermelon in alcohol
1. Pour wine into drink dispenser. 
2. Add watermelon pucker. 
3. Add juice of 2 limes. 
4. Add watermelon.
Now it’s time to get soaking.
Pour in 2 bottles of rose wine and 1/2 cup watermelon schnapps.
Then juice the remaining lime and add the juice to the watermelon in your pitcher. I don’t recommend soaking the limes in the alcohol because their rinds can add a bitter flavor to the drink.
If you like stronger cocktails, you can add another 1/2 cup watermelon schnapps or 1/2 cup rum.
Add the sliced watermelon.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. You don’t want to soak it for too long or the color will come out of the watermelon. Which doesn’t look very appetizing.
Put it together
When you’re ready to start serving, you’ll need to add the club soda (or sprite).
If your pitcher or drink dispenser is big enough, pour it directly in there.
Otherwise, you can add it to each glass as you’re serving.
How to serve
1. Add watermelon cubes to a glass. 
2. Pour in sangria. 
3. Garnish with watermelon, lime and mint.
To serve your watermelon sangria, start by putting a few frozen watermelon cubes in each glass. You don’t want to add them to the pitcher since they will thaw quickly.
You can also add some regular ice if you want. I put it in first and put the watermelon cubes on top so you can see them better.
Pour in the sangria.
If you’re adding soda as you go, fill the glass about 2/3 full with Sangria and top up with the soda.
Then add a lime slice pushed into the drink on one side of the glass.
Finally, put a slice of watermelon garnish on the side of each glass. Top with a mint sprig if desired.
Other sangria recipes you might like
- 20 of the best summer sangria recipes
- Strawberry, raspberry and lime sangria
- Triple berry sangria with pineapple juice
Or browse all of our sangria recipes.
Watermelon Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 large watermelon
- 2 750 mL bottles rosé wine
- ½ cup watermelon liqueur such as Watermelon Pucker
- ¼ cup lime juice fresh squeezed is best
- 1 750 mL bottle club soda
- 2 limes sliced (optional for garnish)
- mint sprigs (optional for garnish)
Equipment
- large knife
- Baking sheet
- parchment paper
- plastic wrap
- Large pitcher or drink dispenser
- measuring cup
- juicer
Instructions
- Chop half of the watermelon into 1 inch cubes.
- Lay out in a single layer on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Cut 3 or 4 slices from the other half of the watermelon. Then cut them into 6 or 8 pieces each. These will be soaked in the alcohol.
- With the remaining watermelon, cut smaller wedges to be used for garnish on the glasses. Cut a small slit in the side of each one. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.
- Combine 2 bottles of rosé wine, ½ cup watermelon liqueur and ¼ cup lime juice in a large pitcher or drink dispenser.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When you're ready to serve, pour the bottle of club soda into the alcohol mixture.
- To fill each glass, add a few ice cubes and frozen watermelon cubes. Then pour in the sangria.
- To garnish, push a slice of lime down the side of the glass, put a small watermelon slice on the edge of the glass, and top with a sprig of mint.
Notes
- For a stronger drink, add an additional ½ cup watermelon liqueur or rum.
- For a sweeter cocktail, use 7-Up or Sprite instead of club soda.
- To prevent the drink from getting watered down, put ice cubes in each individual glass rather than the pitcher (or drink dispenser).
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
This post was originally published on September 9, 2022 but was updated with new content on March 19, 2024.