So, you're at a picnic, and you bring out what looks like an average watermelon. You cut it into wedges. You shoo away any children under the age of 21. Then you watch your friends' faces light up as they realize the cold, juicy fruit is infused with vodka—like boozy popsicles, only way, way cooler.
This tip comes from Sweet Paul (whose beautiful online magazine just launched), and he makes it look ridiculously easy. Cut a hole in the watermelon, stick in a funnel, fill with vodka, let it sit for a couple of days in the fridge.
Even better, he uses lime-infused vodka. Yum.
• Get the full instructions at Sweet Paul
Has anyone ever done this? Does it work? What does it taste like? We're imagining a sophisticated version of a Jell-O shot...
Related: Don't Let Watermelon Go to Waste: Drink It!
(Image: Studio Dreyer Hensley)

Comments (35)
I've tried this before and it took a very long time for the vodka to drain into the watermelon. You would definitely have to plan this a day or two in advance. It was good, though!
I've always wanted to try this...
Weird. This is the third "how to" on spiking a watermelon that I've seen this week.
it is excellent, but it does not infuse evenly. some parts will be far boozier than others.
I've never done that but I have hollowed out a watermelon poured vodka in, added some of the watermelon back in and stuck a tap in it. So yummy and a little bit dangerous.
I had vodka watermelon at a party in college many years ago. It was pretty yummy and decadent feeling.
Cutting a hole and pouring is easy, but to distribute the alcohol more evenly, you're supposed to reinsert the "plug" you cut out and occasionally rotate the watermelon. I've tried a couple different methods (both involving saran wrap), but they've both ended up pretty messy and sticky in the end. Delicious, but messy.
I wonder if this works well with other liquors. Something else that would go well with watermelon.
I love to make watermelon margaritas- blend the cut watermelon until smooth & strain thru a fine mesh seive. 3 parts tequila, 2 parts orange liqueur, 1 part watermelon over ice, squeeze lime. Dangerous & delicious! Sometimes I make it 2 parts watermelon juice if it tastes a bit too strong :)
I had it once. It tasted like watermelon. Until I stood up and realized that I was totally wasted.
I do the process that akay mentioned, works very well. You can also then cut out the melon after it's been infused and make a boozy fruit salad with it which is also awesome.
I've infushed pineapple as well and blended the two after.
@caseoftornadoes - it works beautifully with rum.
It works really well. Even if you put a lot of vodka in, you can still barely taste it!
Less sneaky, but we use to cut the watermelon in half and put booze in using a turkey baster. You kind of make little holes with the baster and sqeeze in vodka. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours/ a day and the vodka ends up fairly dispersed throughout.
I've never had any luck with this - tried twice last summer, and the watermelon basically didnt absorb the vodka. I mean, logically, you cut a hole, you pour in the vodka, and the vodka sits there in said hole. It was terribly frustrating.
Not wanting to waste the watermelon, or the vodka, I decided to blending cubes of watermelon with the vodka in the blender. I ran it through a fine sieve, and put in the freezer to chill. Out came a DELICIOUS, refreshing, not too sweet martini that was a DELIGHTFUL shade of hot pink.
I've had the most luck cutting a trough along the "top" of the watermelon. basically hollow out a v-shape lengthwise across the watermelon, pour the vodka (or rum, preferably) across the trough, reinsert the cut-out piece, and let it seep in over the course of a day or two.
Yeah it really doesn't work that well and takes a really long time. i found one way which works but takes a long time.
Cut 2 holes on either side (length ways) of the top of the water mellon. insert funnel deep into one end, fill with vodka. leave the other hole open. This is essentially transpiration; how plants take up water by evaporation but with vodka. takes about 3 days. but for a day of go for the vodka watermellon smoothie as mentioned above
It won't soak up the vodka evenly, so some pieces will be just plain watermelon and some will be saturated with booze. The best thing to do is probably use a syringe and inject the alcohol into several different locations or cut up the melon into pieces, layer in a dish and cover with vodka.
A note: don't go using cheap vodka. It just tastes like rubbing-alcohol-flavored watermelon. I speak from experience, specifically my senior year in college's Beach Week.
I've never made this but this was always at frat parties when I was in college. I can't speak for how it was done but The Kitchenette is right, using bottom shelf vodka makes it a waste of time and materials. And frat party watermelons are always full of cheap vodka.
Use a kitchen syringe. Tequila also works great.
We made these in college with Everclear. (What? It was HOT there...) Reinserting the plug, giving yourself a day or two of time to prep and rotating every few hours is the key. *hiccup*
Reminds me of something we used to make called PJ. Fill a cooler with fresh fruit like orange slices, cherries, watermelon, etc and then add pure grain alcohol or your favorite vodka. Let it sit for a day and serve over ice. This S#!T will get you so wasted it should be illegal.
I did this in college. Ah, those were the days...
I heard this won't work if you use a seedless watermelon?!
Funny story involving this.... My mom and her best friend did this once in their mid twenties with cheap (Smirnoff) vodka on my grandparents' farm. They said it was so bad that they (without thinking) called it a lost cause and lobbed the remains into to chicken coop, expecting them to turn their beaks up at it from the taste. Chickens love fruit... as it turns out they also love it with vodka.
Apparently there is nothing funnier that watching thirty drunk chickens.
Another easy way to do this is to half a Watermelon, use a melon baller to cut out dozens of pieces. Throw them back into either the halves or your travel tupperware (etc). Then soak the balls with Vodka or light rum.
I like to put a glass of toothpicks nearby to let all my friends munch on the Watermelon bits. It really livens up a party when people catch on!
Afterward you can gather all that boozy watermelon juice and throw it on ice or top off with some club soda.
When simply dumping booze through a hole into the watermelon, be careful not to OVERfill the thing, especially if using carbonated alcohol! I saw this done once (with champagne, I think; it was many years ago) and the watermelon exploded. It was pretty impressive -- bits shot up several feet into the air. We duct-taped the big parts back together so it could finish marinating, and it did wind up quite tasty, if a little scary-looking. ;)
For a savory offering:
Small cherry or grape tomatoes (with a little give to them)
Pepper vodka
Syringe (generally available by prescription only -- make friends with someone who has a diabetic cat)
Now what? Hmmm ... or rather, mmmm...
tallsarah: just a suggestion, but i also make a great watermelon margarita... try adding some ginger to the drink. it was amazing, and a huge hit at my party.
The sheer novelty of this! Lovely!
I don't think we could serve this at one of our First Friday parties, but if we could...
Bibliovore, thank you for the hilariously descriptive story! I kind of want to try it...
We used to do this every year for a work BBQ - the best was when they combined EverClear with one of the fruity Malibu Rums (i think it was pineapple) It was delicious! We have tried both with one of those syringes you use to infuse meat and funnels - funnels are definitely easier, but the syringe distributes the alcohol better.
KirstenWI, have a camera ready if you do! 8)
I always wondered if this would work. For anyone thinking of trying it without informing your guests though - please don't. There are a lot of medications out there that react badly with alcohol.