Skip to main content

Hot Pink Punch

A pitcher of Hot Pink Punch next to a saltrimmed glass both on a pinkpurple ombr background.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Maggie DiMarco

A slice of ripe watermelon cannot be improved upon—unless you add a sprinkle of salt. This juicy pitcher drink goes one step further, adding a little heat in the salt mix on the rim of each glass. Lemon and just a touch of bitter Campari balance the ripe summer sweetness of watermelon juice and strawberry preserves here. This fruity cooler is ready for your next cookout or pool party; if you’ve invited a crowd and you want to double the recipe, you’ll likely need to make it in two batches to not overfill your blender.

All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    20 minutes

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
½ tsp. Aleppo-style or other mild red pepper flakes
½ lemon
4 lb. seedless watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into large cubes (about 5 cups)
1 cup gin
½ cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. Campari

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Stir together 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and ½ tsp. Aleppo-style or other mild red pepper flakes on a small plate. Moisten half of rim of 6 rocks glasses with ½ lemon, then press into chile salt to coat. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Purée 4 lb. seedless watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into large cubes (about 5 cups), in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing on solids; discard solids. (You should have 3–3½ cups juice.) Add 1 cup gin, ½ cup fresh lemon juice, and 3 Tbsp. Campari to pitcher; stir well to combine.

    Step 3

    Fill prepared glasses with ice; divide punch among glasses.

Sign In or Subscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Hot Pink Punch?

Leave a Review

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
With a bag of frozen pearl onions (so cute, no peeling required!) and a bag of mini sweet peppers, you’re well on your way to dinner.
Bust out the cinnamon sticks for this simple, cozy one-pot braise—they’ll imbue the dish with a gentle warming flavor over 4 hours of hands-off cook time.
All the oversized fun of a 6-foot deli sub, but with DIY bragging rights. Bonus: The pork shoulder can be made in advance.
This remix of an American classic is creamy and ribboned with fresh vegetables, but the real star is the paprika-scented fried onions.
Plump white beans create a luscious broth combined with lemon zest, onion, garlic, and celery. A stealthy knob of butter adds just enough richness.
These air fryer vegetarian wings get dredged in a beer batter, then coated in buttery panko spiked with lemon zest and black pepper.
Frozen cauliflower deserves to be more than a side. Here a quick zap in the microwave primes the veggie crumbles to become a hearty vegetarian main.
Crisped tinned octopus, briny capers, and a lot of white wine.