Sunshine Day Dreams Recipe

1. Make juice

Cut about 1 cup (roughly 6–8 oz) of seedless watermelon into cubes. Place cubes in a blender and puree until smooth, about 20–30 seconds. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a measuring cup to yield roughly 3 oz of clear, bright watermelon juice. Press on solids to extract as much juice as possible.

2. Chill the juice briefly in the refrigerator or use cold watermelon to keep the cocktail chilled.

3. Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add 6 ice cubes, 2 oz vodka, 0.75 oz triple sec, 3 oz fresh watermelon juice, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.25 oz simple syrup if you prefer a sweeter drink.

4. Shake

Cap the shaker and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and a light frost forms.

5. Strain

If serving straight up: double-strain the cocktail through a fine-mesh strainer into a chilled coupe or martini glass. If serving over ice: fill a highball or rocks glass with fresh ice and strain over the ice. For a taller, sparkling version, leave about 2 oz of room to top with club soda.

6. If using the Optional Sparkle: top the strained cocktail in a highball or Collins glass with 2 oz club soda and give a gentle stir once to combine.

7. Garnish with a small watermelon wedge or fan and a lime wheel on the rim. Optionally slap a mint sprig between your palms to release aroma and tuck it beside the watermelon.

8. Serve immediately. Provide a short stirring spoon or straw if served tall.