Watermelon Cocktail
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 30, 2025 Our Watermelon Cocktail with Gin and Basil is a tangy-sweet beverage for summer. This summer cocktail is easy to make, and taste of refreshing garden sweetness.
Watermelon Cocktail
The Watermelon Basil Bramble, is a watermelon basil gin cocktail. It’s summertime, there are tons of fresh fruits and herbs, so why not muddle a few of them together with a bit of gin, AKA grandpa’s cough medicine!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
- To make watermelon gin cocktails for a crowd, simply scale the recipe up depending on how many people you will have, using our servings slider.
- Serve this cocktail as a red drink to celebrate Juneteenth!
- If you don’t have limes on hand, you can replace them with lemons!
Ingredients You Need
- Gin
- Fresh lime juice
- Simple syrup
- Fresh watermelon chunks (cubed watermelon)
- Basil leaves (or fresh mint)
- Salt
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! You can opt to make your watermelon gin cocktail with store-bought simple syrup to save time. But it is super easy and cheap to make right at home! You can also make honey syrup by mixing half honey and half water.
If you don’t drink alcohol or you are making this for someone under 21, you can absolutely turn this into a delicious mocktail! Replace the gin with club soda or ginger beer and pour it into the glass at the end, or leave it out altogether!
If you aren’t a fan of gin, replace it with vodka for a watermelon martini, tequila for a watermelon margarita, or rum for a watermelon daiquiri!
More Summer Beverages
- Green Tea Frappuccino ~ Sandra’s Easy Cooking
- Strawberry Wine Punch ~ Miss In The Kitchen
- Bourbon Peach Old Fashion ~ Josie Lee
- Raspberry Lemonade ~ My Baking Addiction
Watermelon Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounces fresh lime juice
- 1/2-1 ounce simple syrup
- 2 watermelon chunks
- 2 chopped basil leaves
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Make Ahead: Prepare the simple syrup by heating equal parts water and sugar until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Cut the watermelon into 1 1/2-inch chunks.
- Place the watermelon, basil and salt in a cocktail shaker. Muddle until well smashed and soupy.
- Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill with ice, place the lid on the shaker and shake well—30 seconds or so.
- Pour into a glass and garnish with extra watermelon and basil.
I love the name Lieutenant Dan! Now where do I find one? My Husband needs to hang out with the Lt. so he can learn to make pasta and do dishes! lol Your cocktail looks so refreshing and so delish! I can totally see floating in a pool with one of these drinks in my hand.
I want to hang out with your family!! Lovin this cocktail! :)
(we are a unit of food and drink lovers as well ;) )
OH my gosh, you are so cute. My husband’s favorite movie (ever) is Forrest Gump. This post made me smile, and so does this cocktail!
Nice and refreshing! I love the combination!
This looks so refreshing, I love the watermelon and basil combo!
ha! i just said “Lt. Dan” in my forrest gump voice – great movie! i can’t wait to see what else you shake up :)
Nice to meet you Lt. Dan! Your wife is such a talent, so it’s so nice to see what a great team you make. Looking forward to seeing your concoctions each month.
This looks stunning! I definitely need to give this a try soon!
Yum! These cocktails look great – perfect for summertime!
AHAHAHA! Yeah, that’s definitely Forrest Gump (which came out in ’93 or ’94) :-) Too funny.
And yes… I’m all over this cocktail. Watermelon and gin are such a wonderful combination… but one I’d never thought to make. Can’t wait to give this a try!
So pretty! I’m more of a margarita girl, but I’d be willing to give this a try. :)
This looks fabulous and it’s nice to meet you Lt. Dan! I love Forrest Gump and the references made me smile this morning.
Oh and thanks for including Strawberry Wine Punch!