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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.

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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.

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  • The recipe intro mentions the use of strawberry preserves, but the ingredients and instructions don't mention it. Should it be included?

    • Anonymous

    • Chicago, IL

    • 5/2/2024