This watermelon soju recipe is a must try when watermelons are in season! It's super easy to make and takes less than 5 minutes! Plus, it's so refreshing and perfect for the summer. If you don't want alcohol or want to make it kids-friendly, you can even substitute the soju for more soda.
Enjoy, have fun, but also drink responsibly! ❤️
If there's an adult beverage as misleading as daiquiris, it's this watermelon soju cocktail, also known as subak soju. It's super refreshing, sweet, and will most likely fool you until you feel the alcohol sneak up!
We love making this watermelon soju recipe because it's so easy to make and takes only 5 miutes! It's a crowd pleaser, and one of our go-to alcohol beverages for any summer get togethers.
And if we need to make it kids-friendly, we add more soda to replace the soju.
If you're looking for party snacks, this watermelon soju will pair perfectly with our honey garlic chicken wings, crab rangoon dip with crispy baked wontons, and tofu spring rolls.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Mini seedless watermelon - You can use regular size watermelons too, but mini watermelons are cuter and better for presentation. If you're using regular size watermelons, you can ladle the cocktail into cups/glasses.
- Lemon-lime soda - For sweetening the cocktail. If your watermelon isn't as sweet, you may need more soda. We used Sprite.
- Soju - We prefer the original flavored soju, but if you prefer, you can use any flavored ones you'd like.
- Yakult (optional) - This is a great add-on. You can add it into the blender and blend with the watermelon, or you can just add it to the cocktail in chunks.
- Ice - For cooling the cocktail. Cold cocktails definitely taste better!
How to make watermelon soju
1. Wash and dry the mini watermelon, then place it on a cutting board on it's side. Slice off one end of the watermelon to create a flat base.
🌟 Pro tip: Don't cut too far! You only need to cut enough so that the watermelon can stand upright. Otherwise, you can just put the watermelon is a bowl to help it stay upright.
2. Turn the watermelon and slice off the other end of the watermelon, by about 1 to 2 inches.
3. Scoop out all the watermelon meat and put it into a blender. Set the hollowed watermelon aside, and blend the watermelon meat until smooth. If you prefer the cocktail without pulp, strain the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve or double layers of cheesecloth.
📝 Note: If you want watermelon balls, just use a melon baller to scoop out some watermelon balls and set it aside. This adds additional texture and extra refreshing bites to the cocktail.
4. Add the soda, soju, and Yakult to the watermelon juice. If you prefer, you could blend the Yakult with the watermelon in the blender.
5. In the emptied watermelon, add some ice and the melon balled watermelon. Then, pour in the watermelon soju cocktail. You'll have leftovers. Store the leftovers in the fridge to keep cold and refill later or enjoy in regular glasses.
6. Enjoy, have fun, but also drink responsibly! ❤️
Recipe tips
- Use ripe, sweet watermelon for best flavors. If the watermelon isn't sweet, you may need to add more soda to compensate for the sweetness.
- Don't cut the bottom of the watermelon too far! Just cut far enough to create a flat surface so that the watermelon can stand upright. Otherwise, just place the watermelon into a bowl to keep it upright.
- Only cut off 1 to 2 inches off the top of the watermelon. This way, you can still scoop out all of the watermelon meat and the watermelon will still hold a lot of the watermelon soju cocktail.
- Adjust the ratio to your preference. This recipe is just our preferred ratio, but feel free to experiment to find your perfect balance of sweetness, watermelon flavor, and alcohol content.
Storage
It is best to enjoy the watermelon soju within a couple days of making. As the watermelon sits, it'll become less and less refreshing. Do keep any leftover watermelon soju in an airtight container, in the fridge.
FAQ
Our trick to pick good watermelon is based on sound and looking at the bottom. If you knock on a watermelon it should sound as if it's hollow. This means the watermelon is juicy. Then, look at the bottom of the watermelon (not the top stem). If the dot is tiny, it's sweet.
You can find soju at most Asian markets and even some liquor store. Most places offer the original flavor and fruit flavored soju.
If you can't find soju, you can substitute it with any white liquor of your choice. Our top choice is vodka.
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Watermelon Soju Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 mini watermelon (about 1.8lb or 850g)
- 1 mini can (222 mL) lemon lime soda (like Sprite)
- 1 bottle (375 mL) soju original flavor
- 1 bottle Yakult (optional and more to your preference)
Instructions
- Wash and dry the mini watermelon, then place it on a cutting board on it's side. Slice off one end of the watermelon to create a flat base. Don't cut too far! You only need to cut enough so that the watermelon can stand upright.
- Turn the watermelon and slice off the other end of the watermelon, by about 1 to 2 inches.
- Scoop out all the watermelon and place it into a blender. Blend until smooth. If you prefer the cocktail without pulp, strain the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve or double layers of cheesecloth.*If you want watermelon balls, just use a melon baller to scoop out as much watermelon balls as you'd like. Set it aside.*
- Add the soda, soju, and Yakult to the watermelon juice.
- In the emptied watermelon, add some ice and the melon balled watermelon. Then, add the watermelon soju cocktail. You'll have leftovers. Store it in the fridge to refill or enjoy in regular glasses.
- Enjoy, have fun, but also drink responsibly! ❤️
Notes
- This recipe is just our preferred ratio based on ripe, in-season watermelon. Feel free to experiment with more or less soju. If your watermelon isn't sweet enough, you may want to use more soda or even add some honey.
- Watermelon - You can use regular size watermelon as well. Mini watermelons are just cuter. You can even serve the watermelon soju in regular pitchers too!
- Non-alcoholic version - For a kid friendly, non-alcoholic watermelon cocktail, you can use more soda or even use your favorite sparkling water and omit the soju.
- Soju - If you can't find soju in your area, you can also substitute it for your choice of white liquor. Our top choice for substitute is vodka.
Keesha M. says
This cocktail was a hit for my picnic this past weekend. I usually don’t take the time to do recipe reviews but I wanted to let you all know for this one that it’s *chefs kiss*. Thanks for this summer gem I will be keeping this for future use!
Mei says
Hi Keesha!
Thank you for your kind words! So glad you guys enjoyed it!
Mei ❤️