Watermelon Cosmo Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/9/21
Easy Bols Watermelon Cosmo Cocktail - Vodka Martini Recipe

Lucas Bols

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Give the popular cosmopolitan a fun summer twist with this easy watermelon cosmo recipe. It features a wonderful watermelon liqueur that captures the sweet taste of the fruit in a convenient bottle and makes mixing this vodka martini a breeze.

The Dutch company, Lucas Bols, makes some great flavored liqueurs that have the quality, flavor, and color that make mixing with the sweeter spirits so much fun. Bols Watermelon is a beautiful red liqueur with a true taste of watermelon—none of that artificial candied fruit taste.

The liqueur is the focus of this cocktail recipe, which pushes the vodka to the background. The watermelon's also a wonderful pairing for the cosmo's signature cranberry, and it all comes together to give you a delightful, low-proof drink for the hottest days of the year.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce vodka

  • 1 1/2 ounces watermelon liqueur

  • 3/4 ounce cranberry juice

  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup

  • 1 splash freshly squeezed lime juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the vodka, watermelon liqueur, cranberry juice, and simple syrup. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

  3. Shake well.

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  5. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

For the lime juice, cut a wedge from the fruit and simply squeeze it into the shaker. Wiping it around the rim of your glass adds a refreshing tartness that's really nice as well.

Recipe Variations

  • The watermelon liqueur is a sweet one, so if you find that this recipe too sweet you can always cut back or eliminate the simple syrup.
  • Another way to reduce the sweetness is to switch from red to white cranberry juice. The lighter juice (it's actually similar in color to apple juice) offers a more refreshing taste while maintaining the cranberry flavor.
  • Try this cocktail with a flavored vodka. Any citrus or berry vodka would be a nice complement to the other fruits.
  • You can also try cucumber vodka, as that flavor is an excellent match for watermelon. Effen, Prairie Organic, and Smirnoff are a few brands that offer nice cucumber vodkas.
  • Building off that flavor duo, ramp up the taste of this cosmo in a similar manner to the watermelon cucumber recipe. To do this, muddle a fresh piece of watermelon and a couple of cucumber slices in the cocktail shaker before adding the ingredients. You'll want to fine strain the drink—pour through your regular cocktail strainer as well as a fine mesh strainer—to keep pieces of the fruits out of the glass.

How Strong Is a Watermelon Cosmo?

Almost half the strength of the original cosmo, using the 34 proof liqueur as the main ingredient definitely knocks down the alcohol content. This recipe mixes up to a mild 14 percent ABV (28 proof). That's similar to wine, only a lot fruitier.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
250 Calories
0g Fat
31g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 250
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 6mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 12mg 58%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 51mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)