This fresh watermelon cocktail will be your go-to summer drink! It's perfect for sipping by the pool or serving a big pitcher for a summer party! Vegan.
*This recipe was originally posted on 6/25/17 but I updated it with better recipe instructions on 6/20/19.
This watermelon cocktail is the perfect summer drink, it's a fun twist on a classic drink! It's light, tangy, and flavorful, and it has just a touch of ginger that's balanced by the natural sweetness of the fresh watermelon juice. It's absolutely delicious, refreshing, and perfect for sipping on while sitting by the pool during the summer.
A big pitcher of watermelon moscow mules or a tray of watermelon popsicles would be the perfect addition to your summer BBQ, pool party, or family event. If you're planning on making it for the 4th of July, make sure you check out this recipe for vegan star-spangled watermelon skewers too!
How to Make a Moscow Mule
It's very easy to make Watermelon moscow mules! Start by picking out the perfect watermelon and cutting it into chunks. You need 2 ½ cups to make this watermelon cocktail recipe. Add the watermelon chunks to a high-speed blender and blend it until smooth. Pour the watermelon juice through a strainer to get rid of any leftover pulp or seed sediment. Use a seedless watermelon if possible.
Fill a copper mug or glass with ice cubes. First, add the vodka, fresh lime juice, mint leaves, and strained watermelon juice. Lastly, add the ginger beer and give it a stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Should You Use Fresh or Pre-Made Ingredients?
When you're shopping for the ingredients to make this watermelon moscow mule recipe, should you buy fresh or pre-made watermelon juice, lime juice, and ginger beer?
- Watermelon - I recommend that you buy a fresh watermelon to cut up and blend to use for the watermelon moscow mules. Also, by picking out a fresh watermelon you can pick the best, sweetest watermelon that you can find using my tips below. If you do want to use store-bought watermelon juice, make sure that you check the label for how much sugar is added to the juice.
- Lime - Always use fresh lime juice! Not just for this watermelon cocktail recipe but for everything that you make that calls for lime juice. The lime juice in a squeezy bottle tastes artificial and the flavor is not the same. Use this citrus hand squeezer to make juicing fresh limes quick and easy!
- Ginger Beer - I bet there are some people that like to make their own ginger beer but I'm not one of them and it's definitely not necessary to make your own for this watermelon juice cocktail. This is my favorite store-bought ginger beer, it has the best authentic ginger flavor and it doesn't have any high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
How to Pick Out the Best Watermelon
It can be overwhelming to pick a watermelon. You want the best one, right? Here are a few things to look for when you are searching for the perfect watermelon.
- Golden spot - Each watermelon has a white, yellow, or golden "field spot" on its belly. You want to look for a golden yellow spot, that means that it was picked at its prime ripeness.
- Webbing - My grandpa taught my mom and my mom taught me to pick the melons with the most sugar lines! The more webbing, the sweeter the watermelon will be.
- Round shape - Round (female) watermelons are sweeter and oval (male) watermelons are waterier.
- Give it a thump - My mom swears that if you knock on the watermelon and it sounds hollow, then it's perfectly ripe.
Notes & Substitutions
- Use a seedless watermelon for this recipe so you'll have less to strain out of the juice.
- You can triple the recipe ingredients to make enough for a full pitcher. Don't add ice to the pitcher because it will water it down. Store the pitcher in the fridge, put ice in your cup, and pour the watermelon moscow mule over the ice.
- You could substitute other fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches) instead of watermelon if you prefer.
- Make sure to strain the watermelon juice so you won't have chunks of pulp or seed sediment floating in your drink.
- You could also put this mixture in popsicle molds to make boozy frozen watermelon popsicles for a refreshing adult-only summer treat!
- You could make this a mocktail simply by omitting the vodka. The ginger beer is non-alcoholic.
Watermelon Moscow Mules
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 8 mint leaves
- 4 oz fresh watermelon juice (About 2 ½ cups of seedless watermelon chunks)
- 4 oz ginger beer
- 2 lime wedges
Instructions
- Cut the watermelon into chunks and then blend the watermelon in a high-powered blender until it has a smooth consistency.
- Pour the blended watermelon juice through a strainer to remove any pulp or seed chunks and then discard the leftover sediment.
- Fill a copper mug or glass with ice and add the vodka, lime juice, mint leaves, and strained watermelon juice. Then add the ginger beer and give it a stir. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wedge.
Notes
- Use a seedless watermelon for this recipe so you'll have less to strain out of the juice.
- You can triple the recipe ingredients to make enough for a full pitcher. Don't add ice to the pitcher because it will water it down. Store the pitcher in the fridge, put ice in your cup, and pour the watermelon moscow mule over the ice.
- You could substitute other fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches) instead of watermelon if you prefer.
- Make sure to strain the watermelon juice so you won't have chunks of pulp or seed sediment floating in your drink.
- You could also put this mixture in popsicle molds to make boozy frozen watermelon popsicles for a refreshing adult-only summer treat!
- You could make this a watermelon moscow mule mocktail simply by omitting the vodka. The ginger beer is non-alcoholic.
These drinks look DELICIOUS and SO refreshing! Absolutely GORGEOUS pictures too!
This looks super refreshing! I'm a huge fan of Kentucky mules (it is the same thing as a Moscow Mule except it has bourbon!)
Thank you!
Stacey - You're preaching to my choir with this one! I love a Moscow Mule but they completely fall off my radar during the summer months. Never would have thought to add some watermelon and call it a day. Thank you so much for sharing.
Also, I've been exploring your site and I must say, I'm so excited I came across it. I've been trying to eat more plant-based food and you have so many ideas! And Kombucha martinis? Genius!
Thank you so much, Caitlin! The watermelon juice adds such a delicious sweet touch to the drink, it's so refreshing-- perfect for summer!
I hope you enjoy the recipes, plant-based recipes are my jam! =) I think you'll love kombucha martinis too, they're one of my favorite drinks!
Umm I NEED these in my life!
Yesss! I need more of them in my life too =)
Great recipe- LOVE that first photo especially!
Thank you! It's so hard to keep Travis out of whatever I'm preparing until I'm done with pictures. Sometimes I just have to go with his flow =)
Ooh these look delicious and so refreshing! I didn't know watermelons had "genders!"
Thank you! I know, right? I didn't either until I tried to grow vegetables in my greenhouse in the backyard and had to do a bees job!
Oh this looks delicious! Im always looking for watermelon recipes to use during the summer months!
Thank you!
These types of drinks seem to be the new trendy thing to drink. I have yet to see a watermelon recipe so this looks quite interesting to me. Perfect for the summertime!
Thank you!
The Moscow Mule looks amazing - loving the spin with the summer fruit and as a Popsicle, too- great idea (for the adults only) Going to try this for sure!
I think the pops would be so delicious! Thanks!
Oh my gahhhhh! I bet this is delicious! Great shots too!
They're so tasty! Thank you!
Looks so refreshing! I love Moscow mules and I love watermelon, so I definitely need to try this! Thanks.
Thank you! I think you'll love it!
This sounds so delicious and refreshing !! I love the idea of making them into popsicles too . I'm hosting a party in a couple weekends so I may have to serve this drink too ! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you!