Enjoy these watermelon cocktails at these hotels and resorts or in a celebration at home.

By Cari Jorgensen

It’s National Watermelon Day, which means it’s another excuse to get away and indulge in a watermelon cocktail or two… or three. The Rosewood Hotels & Resorts offers three that are perfect for the celebration.

Watermelon Mojito

The Watermelon Mojito is served poolside at the Pool Bar & Grill at Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, California. Comprised of 2 ounces of Bacardi, 1 ounce of lime juice, 1 ounce of simple syrup, 3 ounces of fresh muddled watermelon and fresh mint leaves, the Watermelon Mojito is prepared by placing three mint leaves and two fresh watermelon cubes in a mixing glass. Muddle firmly and add simple syrup, lime juice and Bacardi. Add ice cubes. Shake for about five seconds. Strain into a high ball glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Oasis En San Miguel

The Oasis En San Miguel can be enjoyed in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico at the Luna Rooftop cocktail bar at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. This cocktail not only consists of lots of watermelon chunks, making it a perfect addition to our watermelon cocktail list, but it also has lots of cucumber chunks, 2 ounces of Hendrick’s Gin, two lime wedges, 1 ounce of brown sugar, basil leaves and sprig and a splash of soda. To make it at home, combine all ingredients in Boston shaker. Squeeze in lime wedges and drop them in the glass. Shake 20 times, and pour into double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a basil sprig.

Watermelon Punch

If you’re in Vancouver, British Columbia, head over to the Rosewood Hotel Georgia for the Watermelon Punch. This cocktail has just five ingredients – Beefeater gin (500 ml), lime juice (200 ml), vanilla syrup (200 ml), watermelon juice (300 ml) and jasmine tea (300 ml) – and a fruit medley for garnish. If you’re not in Vancouver, you can make the Watermelon Punch at home by mixing all of the ingredients in a large punch bowl with ice cubes, then garnishing it with fresh strawberries and limes.

The Watermelon Brunch Cup

Gather up 1 ounce Hangar 1 Straight Vodka, 2 ounces vermouth, ½ ounce lemon juice, ½ ounce fresh watermelon juice, ¾ ounce ginger syrup, 3 pieces fresh watermelon (for muddle) and mint for garnish. Muddle three large pieces of watermelon and ginger simple syrup. Add Hangar 1, vermouth and juices and stir well. Garnish with mint sprig.

Fire In Da Laundromat (Courtesy of Forrest Point, Brooklyn)

To make this cocktail, you’ll need 2 ounces Santera Tequila, 1 ounce jalapeno-infused Cointreau, ¼ ounce pamplemousse, ¼ ounce elderflower liqueur, ½ ounce lemon, muddled watermelon and Tajin rim. Muddle watermelon with Santera tequila. Add all other ingredients. Shake well over ice. Strain into a Tajin rimmed rocks glass.

Not enough watermelon? Visit the Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona for their Prickly Pear Barbecue-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Watermelon. For at-home preparation, you’ll need a 16-ounce pork tenderloin with the fat trimmed, 4 slices (approximately 1 cup) of watermelon, prickly pear barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 2 cups fresh steamed broccolini, kosher salt to taste and black pepper to taste.

To make the prickly pear barbecue sauce you’ll need 1 cup ketchup, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup prickly pear syrup (or agave syrup of honey), 2 tablespoons agave syrup, 2 tablespoons molasses and ¼ cup blackening spice mix. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot and simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Refrigerate the sauce until you’re ready to use it (up to a week).

For the dish: Cut a 2-inch-thick slice of watermelon into four 2-ounce wedges. Brush the watermelon on both sides with agave nectar. Lightly season the pork tenderloin with the salt and pepper. Grill and mark the pork on all sides. The tenderloin should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140°F (medium) for about 8 minutes while lightly brushing it with the barbecue sauce (be sure to rotate it as you do this) so that it caramelizes onto the meat. Grill the agave-coated watermelon slices on both sides until caramelized; the slices should have dark grill marks (practically burned). Paint a barbecue sauce stripe across each plate. Remove the pork tenderloin and watermelon from the grill and place it on top of the stripe of barbecue sauce. Slice the meat on a bias crosswise and arrange the slices over the watermelon. Serve with a half cup of fresh steamed broccolini.