Watermelon Smash

The watermelon smash is a refreshing summer drink that pairs melon with lime, rum and vodka. Serve over crushed ice!

Here’s a watermelon drink idea that’s the definition of refreshing: the Watermelon Smash! My fruity spin on the classic Whiskey Smash is delicately sweet, the best combination of pure melon with fresh mint.

Using both vodka and rum adds intrigue in flavor here, though you can opt for just vodka for simplicity. Serve it with crushed ice, and it’s a refreshingly delicious signature drink for sipping poolside or next to the grill: one of my summer cocktail favorites!

What Makes a Smash?

The watermelon smash is a spin on the Whiskey Smash using watermelon, fresh mint, and vodka. The Whiskey Smash originated in the Victorian era as a cooling summer cocktail, and was first published in a bartender guide in 1887.

That first smash had lemon, mint, whiskey, and sweetener, and served with crushed ice. Many variations have popped up over time, like my Berry Vodka Smash and the Gin Basil Smash. This version with watermelon is another fruity spin on the classic!

Ingredients You’ll Need

The watermelon smash is a fruity spin on the vodka smash; for this recipe I used both vodka and rum to bring extra nuance in flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

Watermelon cubes (or watermelon juice): Ripe melon makes all the difference. If you’re mixing more than a drink or two, blend up a batch of watermelon juice first.
Fresh mint leaves: The backbone of any smash!
Vodka and white rum: I love what a little white rum does alongside the vodka, but you can use just vodka (I like Tito’s).
Lime juice: Just a splash brightens the melon; lemon works too if that’s what you have.
Simple syrup: Just a touch, since the watermelon is doing most of the sweetening.
Crushed ice: This is another signature of the smash.

How to Make Crushed Ice

The most characteristic part of a smash cocktail? The crushed ice! What’s the best way to crush ice? Luckily, we’ve tried a bunch of methods and found the best way. And no: you don’t have to whack at ice with a rolling pin! Here’s the best way to crush ice:

Place the ice in a blender.
Fill the blender about halfway with cold water. This is the important part! The water helps everything blend to a uniform size.
Pulse until it’s uniformly crushed, then strain. Pick out any large chunks with your fingers, but this method should result in a great texture.

3 Tips for Making a Watermelon Smash

Once you’ve got your crushed ice, let’s get started! Here are a few tips for making this drink (or skip right to the recipe below):

Use watermelon cubes or make the juice. If you’re planning to make more than one drink, make Watermelon Juice in a blender first.
Muddle the mint gently to release the oils. Here are all our tips on How to Muddle Mint, including equipment.
Use vodka and white rum for best flavor, or go just vodka. We love the flavor combination of both! But if you don’t have rum on hand, just vodka is good too.

Variations and Substitutions

Top it with bubbles. For a more sippable drink, add a splash of seltzer or club soda after straining.
Make it a mocktail. Skip the vodka and rum and lean on watermelon juice, lime, mint, and add some tonic water.
Batch it for a crowd. Blend a pitcher of watermelon juice, then scale the spirits and lime to match. Muddle the mint in the pitcher, stir, and serve over crushed ice.