Any fans of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette out there? Well, turns out I’m channeling my inner Chris Harrison. Just like he always declares that you’re in for “the most dramatic season yet”… each week I share “our most delicious cocktail recipe yet!”

But guys, my Chris Harrison days might be over – this one will be hard to beat. My blogger BFF Alex and I made the MOST dramatic… err, I mean delicious… cocktail ever as part of our summer drink series. In fact, it’s so good I want to shout it from the rooftops, hence the name: Water-Yellin’ Watermelon Tiki Drink.

With the sweetness of watermelon balanced with tart lime juice and spicy ginger, you’re going to want to blend up this vodka-based cocktail all summer long.

Hold the phone – did I just say vodka-based?

Yup, sure did… and I’m sure there are some tikiphiles out there who aren’t going to like the sound of that. But hear me out.

Tiki 101

So when I found these amazing tiki glasses, I decided to give myself a bit of a tiki history lesson so I could make a drink recipe authentic to the style.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to ‘what’ constitutes a tiki drink but a few shared characteristics are clear:

• Tiki drinks are tyyyyypically made with rum. Not every tiki drink is rum-based – just look at the gin-based Singapore Sling or bourbon-based Eastern Sour – but most are.
• They’re made with fresh fruit juices, with lime being a major player.
• Tiki drinks’ flavours are well-balanced and layered – but not overly sweet. To obtain this, syrups and liqueurs spiced with flavours such as almond, clove, ginger, anise, nutmeg and cinnamon are typical in many drinks.
• Over-the-top presentation is praised. Think: funky glasses, extravagant mugs, fun garnishes.

Now, while I’m definitely a rum fan, I just purchased this Smirnoff Watermelon Vodka that was begging to be blended. It was Water-Yellin’ at me, LOL. So, although, Alex and I strayed from rum, we love the result. Here’s the recipe:

Frozen Water-Yellin’ Watermelon Tiki Drink

Yields 2 cocktails

You’ll need:

• 5 handfuls frozen watermelon
• 4 oz watermelon vodka (our preference – Smirnoff Watermelon)
• 1 tbsp fresh pressed ginger
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 large handful ice

Directions:

Already have frozen watermelon in the freezer? Great! If not, chop a fresh watermelon into small cubes or balls and remove the seeds. Spread the pieces out on a baking sheet (ensuring the pieces don’t touch) and flash-freeze them for two hours or overnight.

To make two cocktails you’ll need five handfuls of watermelon – which is about the size of one mini watermelon or half a large watermelon.

Combine the frozen watermelon with the vodka, fresh-pressed ginger, lime juice and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth and serve in your favourite tiki glass with fun garnishes.

For the record: I really enjoyed the Smirnoff Watermelon vodka. It tasted quite similar to a watermelon-flavoured Jolly Rancher!

Tiki Barware

I had my eyes peeled for tiki glasses for two years before finally stumbling on this set at HomeSense. Little did I know, tiki drink flair was just a mouse click away. Here are some fun tiki finds:

Alex (@alexandtribe) and I (@chandeliers.and.champagne) are sharing delicious cocktail recipes all summer long. Tag us on Instagram if you try one for yourself – we’d love to see your photos!

Happy sipping!

Xo Holly and Alex

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