Ina Garten watermelon cosmopolitans are an easy make ahead cocktail from her friends Rob Marshall and John DeLuca. She purées fresh watermelon, then stirs in vodka, Cointreau and lime juice. It became her go-to summer party drink for entertaining friends.
The martini glasses need at least 30 minutes in the freezer, and skipping that step is what ruins this drink. Shake the mixture a full 30 seconds so it comes out ice cold instead of lukewarm.
Source: Go-To Dinners (2022)
Ina Garten Watermelon Cosmopolitans
Course: BeverageCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes220
kcalRipe watermelon passed through a food mill turns into a thin, bright pink juice that mixes smoothly with vodka, Cointreau and lime. Shaken over plenty of ice, it pours out pale red and frothy on top, light and clean with no syrupy edge.
Ingredients
4 cups (¾-inch) diced red watermelon (see note)
6 ounces good vodka, such as Grey Goose
3 ounces Cointreau or triple sec
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
4 large mint sprigs, for garnish
Directions
- Chill the glasses: Place four martini glasses in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Mill the watermelon: Place a food mill fitted with the largest disk over a bowl. Add the watermelon and pass it through the mill; you should end up with about 2 cups of watermelon juice. Pour into a pitcher and discard the seeds and pulp. Stir in the vodka, Cointreau, and lime juice.
- Shake and serve: Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice, pour in the cocktail mixture, and shake for a full 30 seconds. Pour into the chilled martini glasses and garnish each glass with a sprig of mint. Serve ice cold.
FAQs
Do I need a food mill for this?
A food mill is the cleanest way to get juice without pulp, and it deals with the seeds at the same time. If you only have a blender, use seedless watermelon or pick the seeds out first, then pour the purée through a fine-mesh sieve. Ina suggests that same workaround, and it gets you to the same place.
Can I swap the Cointreau for something cheaper?
Triple sec works and the recipe lists it as the alternative. It runs sweeter and thinner on orange flavor, so the drink loses a little of its bite. Hold back a splash and taste before you pour in the rest.
Can I mix it ahead of time?
Yes, and that is the point of the make ahead label. Stir the watermelon juice, vodka, Cointreau and lime together, then keep the pitcher in the fridge until people show up. Watermelon juice separates as it sits, so give it a stir before it goes in the shaker.
How long does the mixture keep?
Same day is best. Fresh watermelon juice starts tasting flat after about 24 hours, even with the alcohol in it. Past two days you are drinking something duller than what you mixed, so make what you plan to pour.
What is the mistake most people make?
Using pale, underripe watermelon. The drink is mostly watermelon juice, so a bland melon gives you a pink glass that tastes like almost nothing. Pick a melon that feels heavy for its size with a creamy yellow patch on the bottom.
