Watermelon Frose – frozen watermelon cubes + Rosé wine = Watermelon Frose. A slushy, boozy, slightly sweet refreshing summer cocktail.
Back in 2016, Bon Appetit declared it a summer of frosé with beautiful pink strawberry frose in frosty glasses. Because Bon Appetit is so on trend – and I’m so not – it took me all the way until the late summer of 2021 to discover it.
Truth be told, I only got around to making Watermelon Frose when I discovered multiple bowls of watermelon in the garage refrigerator I forgot to dole out to the kids when they were over. I knew we’d never eat it all – at least not in its original form.
This Watermelon Frose is a childhood slushy in adult form. Cheers!
Ingredients needed for Watermelon Frose:
- bottle of Rose wine
- frozen watermelon cubes
- simple syrup
Buy bottled simple syrup or make your own with equal parts sugar and water (1/2 cup each).
Whisk sugar and water together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat and simmer stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is clear. Remove from heat and cool to room temp before adding to the frose.
How to make Watermelon Frose:
Prepare the watermelon: Cut the rind off the watermelon then dice it into about 1 1/2″ cubes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then lay the watermelon cubes on the baking sheet in a single layer. Freeze for about 4 hours or until the cubes are solid then transfer to a zip top bag or other freezer safe container.
To make the frose, add half of the frozen cubes to a blender then pour in about half of the wine and blend until smooth.
Continue adding the rest of the watermelon cubes and the wine blending until you reach the consistency you prefer.
Taste and if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add 1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup until it’s your desired level of sweetness. Pour into glasses and enjoy right away.
Tips for the best frose:
- Freeze the watermelon in advance and store in a sealed, freezer-safe container.
- Chill the wine ahead of time.
- Wait to blend until just before guests are ready to drink so it stays in the slushy form.
How to pick the best watermelon:
- Give it a gentle thunk with your knuckles. You should hear a hollow sound.
- Look for the ‘field spot’ – a yellow-ish streak on one side. This is where the watermelon touched the dirt where it was growing. No spot? It probably picked before it was ready.
- Pick it up – it should be heavy for its size.
- Buy in season.
Can I make a single serving of frose?
Yes! Freeze 1 1/2 to 2 cups of watermelon cubes then blend the frozen watermelon cubes with about 1 cup of rose wine.
Taste and if you like it sweeter mix in about one tablespoon of simple syrup.
More popular cocktails:
Seabreeze Cocktail – grapefruit juice, cranberry juice and vodka with a squeeze of fresh lime. It’s the ultimate summer cocktail and as refreshing as its name.
Strawberry Peach Sangria – Rosé or white wine cocktail with fresh strawberries and peaches.
Raspberry Mojito – bursting with fresh raspberry, mint and tangy lime flavors. Light, refreshing twist on the classic Mojito.
Sunrise Mimosa – just 3 ingredients – orange juice, prosecco and grenadine make this delicious cocktail the right choice for any brunch.
Enjoy!
Watermelon Frose
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup water
- 1 750 ml Rose wine
- 6 cups watermelon cubed and frozen
Simple Syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
Prepping the watermelon:
- Cut the rind off the watermelon then dice into about 1 1/2″ cubes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then place the cubes on it in a single layer. Freeze about 4 hours or until the cubes are solid then transfer to a zip top bag or other container.
The simple syrup:
- Whisk the sugar and water together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and cool to room temp
Making the frose:
- Add about half the frozen cubes to a blender then pour in about half of the wine and blend until smooth.
- Continue adding the rest of the watermelon and wine blending until you reach the consistency you prefer.
- Taste and if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add 1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup at a time blending and tasting as you go until it's as sweet as you like.
- Pour into glasses and serve right away.