7 Watermelon Cocktails for Summer

Watermelon, either by itself, in a salad, or in a cool drink, is a must-have for any summertime meal. Here are some delectable cocktail recipes that are ideal for a long afternoon of relaxing, such as watermelon sangria and spiked aguas frescas. At your next gathering, set up a drinks dispenser or make a pitcher to take to the beach. Watermelon is the perfect summertime treat in any form, so give that fruit you most likely ate as a child the adult treatment it needs.

Although fresh, premium store-bought watermelon juice will also work, making your own watermelon juice gives this blend-and-sip cocktail a burst of cool melon flavor. With a salted rim that strikes a balance between tart lime juice and sweet agave syrup, this rum drink is perfect for margarita lovers. It can be made with leftover juice or for a large gathering.

The daughter of renowned chef Alice Waters, Fanny Singer, has always been obsessed with frozen fruit. (She used to put one on each finger and eat the raspberries that the pastry chefs at Chez Panisse used to freeze for her.) She naturally uses watermelon, one of her favorite fruits, to make an icy drink. There is a frozen margarita-like consistency to this agua fresca.

At the 1964 World's Fair in New York City, sangria—a Spanish take on traditional punch made of wine, fruit, and brandy—was formally introduced to the United States. Chicago's Del Toro Café serves traditional Spanish sangria as well as seasonal variations like this one, which chef Andrew Zimmerman developed for the summer using vodka rather than brandy.

This is a great way to use watermelon when it is plentiful. Chef Bobby Flay purees chunks of seedless watermelon, strains the juice through a sieve, and then combines it with fresh lime juice, blueberries, mint, sugar syrup, and silver tequila.