Watermelon Mimosa Cocktails

Light, bright, and beaming with fresh watermelon, mint, and lime all swirled together with a delicious splash of Cointreau. Top things off with the chilled, crisp bubbles of Prosecco and you’ve got a refreshing spin on the popular classic!

This drink starts with an incredibly simple, yet delightful juice made from watermelon. And since it’s watermelon season let’s take that sweet fruit and make a surprisingly wonderful cocktail. The base is made using seedless watermelon, fresh mint, a squeeze or two of lime, and a touch of simple syrup. For the cocktail, add Cointreau for a glorious note of orange and finish up with a sparkling Prosecco.

For the watermelon you want a melon that’s sweet and full of summer flavor. Many farmer’s and food market sell cut melons. I have a favorite local farmer’s market that offers up some of the best seasonal fruit. But don’t be afraid to buy a small watermelon and carve it up yourself. So here are some tips in picking a melon that I learned from my Grandmother – she was a “thumper”. If it sounded hollow when she thumped it with her thumb, it was ripe. She also checked the “yellow belly”, or the field spot – where the melon rested on the ground while ripening. It will be somewhat yellow in color when ripe. And finally lift it – you want a melon that feels heavy for its size. Her methods never failed her.

Also consider the weight of the melon. Watermelon, like most fruit, will feel heavy for its size when it’s ripe. Turn the melon over and look for a light yellow spot where the melon has rested on the ground.

When cutting up the watermelon make sure your cutting board is secure and doesn’t slip around. If needed, you can place a kitchen towel underneath the board to help keep it in place. Use a sharp knife – a dull knife is actually more dangerous than a sharp one. You can cut the fruit into thick slices and trim off the rind or cut off the ends, stand it up and carve the rind away from the melon.

The watermelon base is refreshing on its own, served nice and cold. But my oh my, stirring it up into mimosas will give you a beautiful and fun summer drink!

Watermelon Mimosa Cocktails

For the watermelon base:

6 cups cubed seedless watermelon

2 tablespoons simple syrup

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, packed when measuring

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Makes about 4 cups of watermelon base.

For each mimosa:

¼ cup watermelon base

3 teaspoons Cointreau

¼ cup chilled Prosecco

To make the watermelon base:

Place the watermelon in a blender along with the simple syrup, mint leaves, and lime juice.

Remove the cap from the lid and turn the machine on using the lowest setting. Using the plunger, push the melon down into the blades until it begins to liquefy. Replace the cap to the lid and process using the juice setting or highest setting on your blender for about 30 seconds, or until very smooth.

Refrigerate until well chilled. Makes 4 cups of juice.

For each mimosa:

Pour the watermelon base into a champagne flute.

Add the Cointreau, top with the Prosecco and stir to blend together.

You’ll have 4 cups of the watermelon base, enough to make about 16 cocktails. And you can also pour up the base and serve over ice.