Watermelon Basil Cooler
A Watermelon Basil Cooler is a non-alcoholic mocktail of fresh watermelon purée with basil syrup and lime, topped with sparkling water. The melon decides this drink entirely. A perfectly ripe one is sweet enough that you will want less syrup than the recipe calls for; a mediocre one cannot be rescued by adding more. Buy the best you can find, chill it before blending, and taste the base before you commit to the full measure.
Watermelon is more than ninety percent water, which sounds like a liability in a drink and is actually the point. Blended and strained it becomes a base that is already light, already cold, and already refreshing — and everything else in the glass exists to give it edges.
Basil, Steeped as Long as You Dare
A full cup of basil leaves goes into the hot syrup off the heat and steeps twenty to thirty minutes, and where you land in that window is a real choice. Twenty minutes gives a gentle herbal lift behind the melon; thirty gives basil a genuine voice in the drink. Press the leaves beneath the surface so they steep evenly, then strain and discard them. It holds three weeks refrigerated, and it is worth making a double batch in August.
Chill the Melon Before You Blend It
Warm watermelon purée is a chore to cool down and it dulls while it waits. Cube the melon and refrigerate it, then blend it cold and strain it if you want a cleaner drink — the pulp is harmless, and straining is Jorj's optional step, not a requirement. Add the basil syrup and lime, taste, and hold back syrup if the melon is very sweet. Then the sparkling water, last and gently, and tall glasses filled with ice.
Watermelon Basil Cooler
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Bring just to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat. Stir in the fresh basil leaves, gently pressing them beneath the syrup. Allow to steep for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how pronounced you'd like the basil flavor.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the basil leaves. Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
- Place the watermelon cubes in a blender and purée until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pulp, if desired.
- In a pitcher, combine the watermelon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and fresh lime juice. Stir well and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
- Just before serving, gently stir in the sparkling water.
- Fill four tall glasses with ice and pour in the Watermelon Basil Cooler. Garnish each glass with a small watermelon wedge, a lime wheel, and a sprig of fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
The Heart of the Table
There is no drink that says summer more plainly than this one, and no drink easier to hand to a crowd standing in a yard. It is pale rose, it smells like basil, and it tastes like the middle of August. Serve it at a cookout and it will disappear faster than anything else you put out, including the food.
The Art of the Host
A blender, a fine sieve, a small saucepan, a large pitcher, and tall glasses. The basil syrup keeps three weeks refrigerated; the watermelon base holds a day, no more, so blend it the afternoon before at the earliest. For a crowd this scales to a dispenser beautifully, and a big pitcher with basil sprigs floating in it is a centerpiece on its own.
Hosting a Crowd
For 12 guests, combine:
Neighborly Grace
- The Presentation: Tall glasses filled with ice so the pale rose color shows through. A small watermelon wedge on the rim, a lime wheel, and a sprig of basil — and float triangles of melon in the pitcher itself, which is half the reason to serve it in glass.
- The Vibe: A cookout in the height of summer, everyone outside, nobody in a hurry — the drink people keep drifting back to the table for.
- The Flourish: Cucumber Watermelon Cooler: Add 1 cup fresh cucumber juice for an even more refreshing garden-inspired variation. Watermelon Mint Cooler: Substitute Mint Simple Syrup (You Can Cook Anything – Volume 5) for the Basil Simple Syrup. Berry Watermelon Sparkler: Add a handful of fresh strawberries before blending for a deeper berry flavor and beautiful rosy color. Cocktail Option: Offer vodka, gin, tequila, or white rum on the side for guests who would like to create their own summer cocktail.