Watermelon Daquiri Recipe

Cube and Purée

Trim rind from the seedless watermelon and cut flesh into roughly 1-inch cubes until you have about 4 cups. Working in batches if necessary, place the watermelon cubes into a blender and purée until smooth, about 30–45 seconds per batch.

Strain (optional)

For a silky daiquiri, pour the puréed watermelon through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or pitcher, using a spoon to press out juices and discard pulp. You should yield close to 1 1/2 cups of watermelon juice. If you prefer more body, skip this step and use the purée as-is.

Make Simple Lime Syrup

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cold water and stir until sugar mostly dissolves (about 30 seconds). Add the fresh lime juice and stir to combine. This helps the sugar incorporate evenly into the cold purée.

Combine Base

Stir the lime-sugar mixture into the watermelon juice/purée until well combined. Taste and adjust: add up to 1 more tablespoon sugar if the watermelon is very tart, or another tablespoon lime juice if it needs more brightness.

Chill Ingredients

If you used strained juice, chill it for 10 minutes in the fridge while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Chill the rum if possible — colder liquids help achieve a smoother, colder frozen texture with less ice dilution.

Blend

In a blender add the watermelon-lime mixture, white rum (8 oz for four servings), triple sec if using, and 3 cups crushed ice. Blend on high until smooth and slushy, about 30–60 seconds. If mixture is too thin, add 1/2 cup more ice and pulse to reach desired consistency. If too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons water or a splash more rum and blend briefly.

Taste and Adjust

Taste one spoonful and adjust balance: a splash more lime for acidity, 1/2 tbs sugar dissolved in a teaspoon of warm water for sweetness, or a small additional splash of rum if you prefer boozier drinks. Re-blend briefly after adjustments.

Divide the finished daiquiri evenly among 4 chilled cocktail glasses (cocktail coupe or martini glasses work well).

Garnish each glass with a lime wheel on the rim, a small watermelon wedge or a few cubes on a cocktail pick, and a sprig of fresh mint. Optionally, lightly slap the mint between your palms before placing it on the drink to release aroma.

Serve immediately with a straw or small spoon for scooping any icy bits.