This Watermelon Sangria the must-make cocktail of the summer. Made with fresh watermelon, crisp white wine, orange liqueur, and tart lime juice, this delicious summer beverage is light, fresh and bursting with watermelon flavor.
The Sangria of Summer
Nothing screams summer like juicy, sweet watermelon. So what better cocktail to round out your summer menu than a Watermelon Sangria?!
With fresh watermelon, bright white wine, and notes of lime and orange, this watermelon sangria recipe yields an easy cocktail that is sweet-tart, uber refreshing, and simply tastes like summer.
From dining al fresco to BBQs to pool parties to 4th of July cookouts, this cocktail is perfect for summer. So what are you waiting for? Throw some burgers and BBQ chicken on the grill, grab a Watermelon Sangria, and toast to summer at its finest.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Watermelon Sangria Ingredients
- Watermelon: For sweet, prominent notes of watermelon, you want to use fresh, ripe, sweet watermelon. To help ensure the best watermelon, select one that feels heavy for its size, has a dull, dark green rind, and yellow spot on the bottom.
- White Wine: I recommend using a dry wine like pinot grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or a non-buttery chardonnay. Avoid sweeter white wines like Moscato, unless you like your sangria really sweet.
- Lime Juice: It is crucial to use fresh limes, not bottled lime juice, to add tart, bright flavors without an artificial aftertaste.
- Orange Liqueur: For rich undertones and notes of citrus. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, and Triple Sec are the most common orange liqueurs on the market. Good substitutes for the liqueur would be Brandy or rum. which both would add sweet, rich undertones to the sangria. Alternatively, use orange juice in place of additional liquor.
- Fruit (optional): To add additional flavor and appeal, add orange slices, lime slices, or fresh blueberries to the sangria. Or skip the addition of fresh fruit altogether.
- Seltzer water (Optional): Topping off each cocktail right before serving with a bit of plain or citrus-flavored seltzer water adds a nice effervescence to the cocktail. However, it is completely unnecessary and optional.
How to Make Watermelon Sangria
Making a watermelon sangria is incredibly simple. Blend, strain, and mix! And while you will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card, the following tips are provided to help you feel confident with your bartending skills. 😉
- Blend Watermelon. Making watermelon “juice” is as easy as placing cubed watermelon into a blender and blending until smooth.
- Strain. After blending, pour the blended watermelon juice through a fine mesh strainer into a large pitcher. This is a crucial step! The strainer will catch any seeds, chunks, and pulp that can lead to a sangria with an odd texture.
- Prepare Sangria. Add the strained watermelon juice, fresh lime juice, orange liqueur, white wine, to a large pitcher and stir to incorporate. Feel free to add sliced oranges, limes, and fresh blueberries now. They will absorb flavor from the sangria as it chills.
- Chill. It is best to chill for 1-2 hours prior to serving. This not only gives time for the flavors to meld together, but a chilled cocktail in the heat of summer is ideal!
Tip for Entertaining
Prepare the sangria mixture up to 12 hours in advance. Right before serving, give the mixture a good stir before serving over ice.
- Serve. Give the sangria a good stir, as you may see the ingredients separate a bit after chilling. This is normal! Serve over ice, topping off with some seltzer, if desired and additional fresh blueberries.
Garnish with a Star
I love using a star cookie cutter to cut out stars from thick slices of watermelon. Making this red and blue cocktail that much more festive and patriotic. Perfect for Memorial Day and 4th of July!
Recipe Modifications
- Make it Sweeter: Blend watermelon with ¼ cup honey or sugar, or use a sweet wine like Moscato or Riesling.
- Make it Minty: Add 10–15 mint leaves when combining the watermelon juice, lime juice, and wine for a refreshing twist.
More Refreshing Beverages
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Place 7 cups ripe, seedless watermelonubed watermelon into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the pureed watermelon through a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or pitcher, to remove any seeds or pulp, reserving the juice.
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Add the strained watermelon juice, lime juice, white wine, and orange liqueur to large pitcher. Stir to incorporate. If desired add sliced oranges, sliced limes, and blueberries, stirring to combine.
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Cover and chill for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to meld together.
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Right before serving, gently stir the sangria to combine the ingredients. Serve over ice, topping with seltzer water if desired.
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Garnish with fresh blueberries and watermelon stars if desired.
Orange Liqueur: Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Brandy, and Cointreau are all suitable options. Triple Sec is the most affordable option.
Seltzer: Adding plain or citrus-flavored seltzer water adds a nice effervescence to this Sangria, but feel to omit it.
Storage: This Watermelon Sangria will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 1gSodium: 33mgPotassium: 312mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 1005IUVitamin C: 21.9mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 0.8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally shared in 2017 and updated in 2025.
