Watermelon Soju Cocktail Recipe
Soju blended with fresh watermelon — traditionally served in the hollowed-out melon itself.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Highball glass
- ABV: 9%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Soju60 ml (2 oz)
- Watermelon200 ml (6.8 oz)
- Fresh lime juice15 ml (0.5 oz)
- Simple syrup10 ml (0.3 oz)
How to Make It
- Blend the watermelon flesh until liquid, then strain out the pulp.
- Shake the juice with soju, lime juice and syrup over ice.
- Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a watermelon wedge.
Garnish
Watermelon wedge
What it tastes like
Fruit notes come forward, it drinks cool and easy and it is low in alcohol.
The technique
Blended. Everything goes into the blender with crushed ice. Cubes strain the motor and leave shards behind; crushed or pellet ice gives a smoother drink. Rule of thumb: about a cup of crushed ice per serving. More ice than that and you are drinking a slush with no flavour left.
Glass and ice
A tall, narrow highball. The narrowness does real work — less surface area means the carbonation lasts longer and the ice melts more slowly.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Soju
- Korea's neutral, faintly sweet spirit, usually 16-20% — clearly softer than vodka. With none at hand, vodka cut with an equal part water plus a pinch of sugar comes closest.
- Fresh lime juice
- Freshly squeezed lime. Bottled lime tastes cooked and flat; one lime gives about 30 ml. If you have none, half lemon and half grapefruit juice comes closest.
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
The Story
A summer fixture of Korean pojangmacha street tents, where the whole melon arrives at the table as the vessel.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Watermelon Soju mixed?
- It is blended and served in a highball glass.
- How strong is a Watermelon Soju?
- Roughly 9% ABV as served — lighter than a beer — a long-conversation drink that takes a second round.
- Can a Watermelon Soju be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Watermelon Soju hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Watermelon in a dream
759 recipes in your pocket
Cocktails and mocktails from 55 countries — ingredients, steps and the story behind each drink. Works offline too.
Similar recipes
Collections
Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.