Watermelon Ginger Beer

By Nicole Taylor

Updated June 26, 2024

Watermelon Ginger Beer
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(177)
Notes
Read community notes

The recipe for this batch drink, from Nicole Taylor’s book, “Watermelon and Red Birds,” includes the juice from a red-fleshed watermelon, ideally from one with seeds. (They can be hard to find; seedless melons work too.) If you own a juicer, proceed with the seeds and all and don’t worry about straining. Watermelon is over 90 percent water and is a nutrient-dense food. This drink can serve as an everyday accompaniment at breakfast, lunch, dinner or with a snack.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 drinks
  • 2tablespoons fresh fennel fronds (optional)
  • Filtered water
  • 6cups (1-inch) cubed red watermelon (from about 3 pounds watermelon)
  • 2cups ginger beer, homemade or store-bought (see Tip)
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Divide the fennel fronds, if using, between two ice cube trays. Fill with filtered water and freeze until solid, 4 to 8 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, place the watermelon in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Scrape the sides of the blender or food processor using a rubber spatula and blend again.

  3. Step 3

    Place a fine metal sieve over a large bowl and strain the pureed watermelon through the sieve. (This should yield 2 to 3 cups of juice). Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve; it will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, fill four highball glasses or rocks glasses with the ice cubes. Stir the watermelon juice and add ½ cup to each glass. Top off with ½ cup ginger beer.

Tip
  • Unlike ginger ale, ginger beer is fermented. It’s nonalcoholic and has a spicy kick and tends to have more flavor than the soft drink. If buying ginger beer from the store, try finding the options from Barritt’s or Bruce Cost.

Ratings

4 out of 5
177 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Rt66Gal

Fever Tree (the refreshingly light version-- less sugar, no artificial sweeteners) is by far the best store bought ginger beer

Donna

With a little splash of rum, this could be a not-so-dark and stormy. Yum.

Rachel McKay

The recipe intro says to blend seeds and all with no need to strain. Seeded watermelons are so much better! I think that seedless ones are sad due to being the end of the line instead being lifegiving.

Katy Balagopal

Juicers will strain for you - if you blend you should strain

george

Gin. It neegs Gin. And plenty of it ! And a twist of lime. After 3 of these - I'm yours !!

Lisa

This is SO DELICIOUS. Hard to tell where the watermelon stops and the ginger beer starts, but it's a fantastic combination. Have already made it three times and will keep making it all summer.

Greg B

Australian Bundaberg Ginger Beer works very well here. It is available in the US through Cracker Barrel stores

Shawn

What can you do with the strained watermelon "solids"?

Steven

Why not use alcoholic ginger beer?

Joan

Fentimens! By far the best if you like spicy ginger beers that aren't too sweet. I love ginger and it's still the winner. Nothing else comes close for me.

DWMurphy

Added a shot(ish) of Pimm's. PDG (pretty darned good)

Matt

Rachel's Ginger Beer is the best for this. Only in Seattle, but they ship everywhere in the US. Totally worth the cost.

sarahb

Fennel fronds are a seasonal offering where I live. Any suggestions for a substitute? I realize I can leave them out.

Lau

I bet mint would go beautifully!

Aegyogirl

A seedless watermelon actually has more flavour than a seeded one. Read this: https://www.thekitchn.com/do-seeded-watermelons-have-more-flavor-233765# So I’m not sure what’s the benefit of including the seeds…

Françoise

Island Soda, brown bottle, makes excellent ginger beer, available in Canada. We always get left behind....

Asha V.

Please add 2-3 sprigs of Fresh Mint Leaves to this!!!!! I did and WOW - THE perfect summer mocktail.

Addie

Thank you. This was a great combination -- very refreshing. I prefer Q ginger beer and didn't use the fennel fronds.

Ellen D

Sounds yummy- with or without the rum! Thanks so much for more inspiration!

Rose Farm

This was too sweet for my taste. If I make it again, I will substitute some seltzer for the ginger beer. Also, allow a lot of time for the watermelon straining step.

Jacqueline

Looks delicious--- but in what universe is Watermelon a Nutrient dense food??!!

Richard

Here are the nutrients in 1 cup (152 grams) of raw, diced watermelon: Calories: 46 Carbs: 11.5 grams Fiber: 0.6 grams Sugar: 9.4 grams Protein: 0.9 grams Fat: 0.2 grams Vitamin A: 5% of the Daily Value (DV) Vitamin C: 14% of the DV Potassium: 4% of the DV Magnesium: 4% of the DV

David

Can also highly recommend Bundaberg ginger beer, from Australia - the spice level is terrific!

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Credits

Adapted from “Watermelon and Red Birds,” by Nicole A. Taylor (Simon & Schuster, 2022)

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