Watermelon and Basil Smash
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 18.7% ABV ∙
The Watermelon and Basil Smash is a tequila smash of muddled watermelon and fresh basil with limoncello and ginger ale, shaken and served over ice. Crushed and fine-strained to a silky texture, it finishes crisp and lightly effervescent, with a peppery herbal lift cutting through the fruit-sweet, citrus-bright body.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Cut Watermelon into 16 segments, chop the flesh from one segment into cubes and muddle in the base of the shaker
- Add the remaining ingredients: Fresh basil leaves 8 pcsTequila reposado 60 mlLimoncello liqueur 20 ml
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top with Ginger ale
- Garnish with a watermelon wedge
Tips
- Muddle the watermelon cubes gently in the shaker base — bruise the flesh for juice, don't pulverize the rind or pith into it.
- Top with the ginger ale last, right before serving, so it keeps its fizz.
- Add the basil leaves whole after muddling the watermelon — the shake alone pulls their oils out, and crushing them turns the drink grassy and bitter.
History
The Watermelon and Basil Smash has no documented individual creation story; it appears in modern cocktail references as a fruit-forward, tequila-based member of the smash family, swapping the classic gin base for reposado tequila and adding fresh watermelon and ginger ale to the muddled basil.
It follows the template set by the Gin Basil Smash, created in 2008 by German bartender Jörg Meyer at his bar Le Lion in Hamburg. Meyer, inspired by the Whiskey Smash, first served the drink under the name Gin Pesto before renaming it, and it quickly became one of the best-known modern cocktails to pair muddled basil with a spirit and citrus. Later riffs such as the Watermelon and Basil Smash keep that basil-forward smash structure while changing the base spirit and adding fresh fruit for a sweeter, more tropical profile.
FAQ
What is in a Watermelon and Basil Smash?
Muddled fresh watermelon shaken with whole basil leaves, tequila reposado, and limoncello, fine-strained into an ice-filled Collins glass, topped with ginger ale, and garnished with a watermelon wedge.
How do you make a watermelon smash drink?
Muddle chopped watermelon in the base of a shaker, add fresh basil, tequila reposado, and limoncello, then shake hard with ice. Fine-strain into an ice-filled glass, top with ginger ale, and garnish with a watermelon wedge.
Do watermelon and basil go together?
Yes, watermelon's sweet juice and basil's peppery aromatics complement each other beautifully, which is why muddled watermelon and whole basil leaves go into the shaker together as the base of this smash.
What alcohol goes well with watermelon?
Tequila is a natural match for watermelon, since the agave spirit's vegetal edge complements the fruit's sweetness rather than masking it, as in this smash where tequila reposado is shaken with muddled watermelon and basil.
