Watermelon Sunrise Cocktail Mix

How To Use: Shake, Blend, or Pour

Our watermelon cocktail mix is built to be easy. Here are the three ways to serve it up.

Shaken (the classic)

• Add one shot of Watermelon Sunrise Mix and one shot of tequila to your shaker with a handful of ice.
• Shake well, then add ice and orange juice to your glass.
• Pour the shaken mixture in slowly over the back of a spoon for the full sunrise layered effect.

Blended (frozen version)

• Add the cocktail mix, tequila, and ice to your blender and blend until smooth.
• Blend orange juice separately with a little ice, then gently combine the two in the glass for the colour gradient.
• Garnish with a wedge of watermelon or a slice of orange on the rim.

Straight over ice (no fuss)

• Fill a glass with ice, pour in your Watermelon Sunrise Mix, add tequila or a non-alcoholic spirit, then top with orange juice.
• Stir gently so the colours swirl rather than mix completely. Looks great, tastes even better.

For the full recipe and some extra variations, check out the Iced Watermelon Sunrise Cocktail recipe on the blog.

Tasting Notes

Fresh, sweet watermelon right up front, the kind that actually tastes like the fruit rather than a lolly. It's bright and light without being thin, and the sweetness is well balanced so it doesn't cloy. The orange juice addition (optional but recommended) adds a citrus edge that lifts the whole drink and gives it that classic tequila sunrise feel.

Blended with ice it gets even more refreshing, almost like a grown-up slushy. Served long over ice with soda water instead of tequila, it's a genuinely excellent mocktail too. If you like fruity, summery cocktails you'll be reaching for this one a lot.

It pairs really well with the Mango Daiquiri Cocktail Mix if you want to serve a spread at a party -- the two flavours complement each other nicely and look great side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get the sunrise effect in the glass?

The layered look comes from pouring the two liquids at different densities. Add your ice and orange juice to the glass first, then pour the shaken watermelon mix in slowly over the back of a spoon or down the side of the glass.

The heavier watermelon mix will sit below the orange juice and gradually bleed upward. Give it a few seconds before you stir or sip and you'll get the full effect.

What spirit works best with this mix?

Tequila is the classic choice and works really well, especially a blanco. Vodka is a solid option too if you want something more neutral that lets the watermelon flavour do the talking. For a mocktail, sparkling water or soda water in place of the spirit keeps things fresh and fizzy without the alcohol. Have a look at our how-to cocktail mix guide for more pairing ideas.

Do I have to use orange juice?

Nope, it's completely optional. The cocktail works perfectly fine without it. The orange juice adds a citrus layer and creates the sunrise colour split in the glass, but if you don't have any on hand just serve it straight with tequila and ice. Still delicious.

How many drinks does one bottle make?

Around 23 serves when diluted according to instructions. If you're using it in frozen blended cocktails where the ice adds a lot of volume, you'll likely get a bit more out of it per bottle.

Can I make a big batch for a party?

Absolutely. Scale up the ratios and mix a large jug of watermelon mix and tequila ahead of time, then keep it in the fridge. Pour it over individual glasses of ice and orange juice to serve. It's one of the easier options in the Cashmere cocktail mixer range to batch up for a crowd.