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Sweet, juicy watermelon meets cooling cucumber, fresh mint, rum and spicy chile bitters in this refreshing summer cocktail. Created by Eat Something Sexy resident chef and mixologist Annette Tomei, it’s inspired by her favorite Caribbean memories and follows the classic punch formula of fruit, spirit and spice.

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A watermelon cocktail for a romantic evening

Watermelon ranks among our Top 10 Foods for Men because it contains nutrients linked to men’s sexual health. But this juicy summer fruit has plenty to offer everyone, making it a perfect choice for a romantic cocktail.

Best of all, watermelon is one of the world’s most hydrating fruits. And as I’ve discussed many times on this site, hydration can be key to a fulfilling sex life.

But watermelon isn’t the only romantic ingredient. In fact, everything you add to this sexy summer cocktail recipe is considered an aphrodisiac.

Cucumber is a fruit best known as an aphrodisiac for its suggestive shape. But it is also a healthy ingredient with several nutrients that will support sexual health as well as skin and joint health. Who doesn’t want a cocktail that can give their skin a glow?

Fresh mint also makes my list of the world’s greatest aphrodisiacs. But for date night, the two best aphrodisiac additions to this spicy watermelon cocktail recipe are the rum and the chile bitters.

Like all spirits, rum can raise body temperature and lower inhibitions, potentially improving your chances of getting lucky.

As for the chile bitters, Annette adds these to give this spicy watermelon drink an immediate tongue-tingling effect. And that impact is what I love about chile as an aphrodisiac. Not only can chiles make your tongue tingle, they will make your lips plump slightly with kissable softness. And, like the rum, chiles can help raise your body temperature and get you in the mood to tear off all your clothes.

Tips for making fresh watermelon cocktails

Although watermelon is a fantastic ingredient for summertime cocktails, fresh watermelon juice is not the easiest ingredient to work with.

When watermelon is pureed, even in the best blender like my beloved Vitamix, it still contains pulp. And that pulp not only adds (a possibly unwanted) texture to this watermelon juice cocktail, it turns the watermelon juice an unappealing shade of gray-ish pink.

In order to make this drink as a mixologist-worthy cocktail, you will need to strain the watermelon juice by pushing it through a fine mesh sieve. The remaining watermelon pulp can be discarded or you can find another use for it like adding it to your breakfast smoothie.

How to turn this recipe into a frozen watermelon cocktail

As Annette mentions in the notes for this refreshing drink, you can turn this watermelon rum punch into a frozen cocktail. Just follow the instructions in “notes” on adding two cups of ice and the rum to the blender.

Serve it as a non-alcoholic watermelon drink

You can make a virgin version of this mixed drink with watermelon.

If you want to make this watermelon juice cocktail into a non-alcoholic drink, just follow the variation for a frozen cocktail. But skip the rum for a refreshing, summer juice drink everyone will love.

Discover more great cocktail recipes

Watermelon cocktail next to a bottle of rum with a bowl of watermelon behind it and a pitcher of the rum punch on the side

Watermelon Rum Punch

Print Recipe

A tropical summer cocktail layered with aphrodisiac ingredients, this fresh watermelon rum punch is a great choice for date night.

Course aperitif, cocktails

Cuisine American

Dish Type Cocktail

Cooking Style Mixology

Seasonal summer

Ingredient rum, watermelon

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Servings servings

Author Annette Tomei

Ingredients

4 cups cubed watermelon
2 cups diced cucumber
leaves from 2-3 sprigs of fresh mint
1/8 tsp salt
6-8 oz rum I use Diplomatico Mantuano
spicy chile bitters I use Hellfire from Scrappy Bitters

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

place the watermelon, cucumber, mint leaves, and salt in a blender pitcher. If you’re using a food processor you may need to work in batches.
Start on slow speed until roughly chopped, then increase speed and blend until smooth (1-2 minutes) – if your equipment tends to get hot, work in batches to prevent heating the ingredients.
Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer. This step is optional but yields a more attractive, stable final product.
At this point, the juice may be enjoyed on its own, or proceed to making a cocktail.
For each cocktail, put 1.5-2 ounces of rum into a mixing glass filled with ice. Add 10-12 ounces of juice and 2-4 dashes of bitters. If you have a shaker, shake well. Otherwise, stir. Fill a serving glass with crushed ice (cubes are fine too) and strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Notes

To make this a frozen-style drink, add 2 cups of ice, the rum, and a few dashes of bitters to the pitcher after the first round of chopping to mix the ingredients, then puree until thick and smooth. Rum is optional and can be added to the individual glasses according to taste.

Cocoa nibs are a nice added garnish for the frozen drinks. They look like watermelon seeds and add a textural surprise.

This article was published in 2021 and most recently updated in 2025 with a revised introduction and small changes to recipe category information.

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide. She is also a Certified Nutrition Coach awarded by the International Sports Sciences Association and she is a California Certified Massage Therapist.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.

A Watermelon Cocktail With a Spicy Aphrodisac Twist