A watermelon feta salad is the ultimate summer treat! Pairing sweet melon with salty cheese is such a simple way to highlight the fruit of the season.
Here’s the best recipe for when watermelon is in season, hands down: watermelon feta salad! This classic combination of sweet juicy melon and salty cheese is one of summer’s great pleasures.
This recipe was the very first recipe I ever wrote for this website over a decade ago. So much has changed since then, but this summer salad has become massively popular: and for good reason! It’s so refreshing, fast and easy to make, and has a carefree vibe that’s just right for barbecues and picnics.
5 Star Reader Review
“Delicious! Made it for a party today and got lots of raves!!” -Yale
Watermelon Salad Ingredients
Watermelon feta salad is a popular salad of fresh cubed watermelon and feta cheese, drizzled with olive oil or a quick vinaigrette. The salad may have originated in Egypt, and it’s eaten in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions and around the world. While you may see it all over Pinterest: no, it was not invented by social media influencers! It highlights age old tradition of pairing sweet fruit with salty cheese.
Often you’ll see this type of recipe at summer potlucks and cookouts, since it’s so refreshing in hot weather. Some recipes use a quick vinaigrette to dress the watermelon, but we like a simple drizzle of olive oil. Here are the watermelon feta salad ingredients:
Ripe watermelon: Finding a ripe melon is key
Feta cheese: a block, not the pre-crumbled tub
Fresh herbs: I like fresh basil or mint, both work well
Olive oil: Add just enough “dressing” to make it a salad
Salt and pepper: For seasoning
How To Choose A Ripe Watermelon
Because this watermelon feta salad is so simple, it’s important that you buy the best quality ingredients. An unripe watermelon tastes bitter and flat: not at all what you need for this salad! Here’s how to select a great ripe fruit:
Shop in watermelon season. It’s the only sure way we’ve found to get a great fruit.
Look for the field spot. Most watermelons should have a patch on the bottom, which is where they were resting on the ground before being picked. If the patch is yellow, the watermelon is ripe (if it’s white, it’s unripe).
Look for a watermelon that feels heavy for its size. That means there’s lots of juice inside! Honestly this one is hard to assess in the grocery, but keep it in mind when you’re shopping.
How To Buy The Best Feta Cheese
Equally as important is the feta cheese you purchase. Skip the pre-crumbled stuff and go for a block of full-fat feta cheese. This kind of feta has the best flavor.
To be most authentic, avoid feta that’s made from cow’s milk. It crumbles more easily, which isn’t what you want. Feta from Greece (traditionally made with sheep’s milk) has incredible flavor if you can find it! We’ve been able to locate Greek feta at our local grocery store.
Watermelon Feta Salad Dressing
I don’t dress this salad, because simply olive and a pinch of salt make the melon taste amazing! If you do want a dressing, add it at the last second. Here are a few ideas:
Lime juice. A squeeze of fresh lime juice over the top is the simplest option.
Honey-lime. One tablespoon lime juice, one teaspoon honey, a pinch of salt.
Balsamic glaze. Balsamic goes perfectly with watermelon. I would use a thick balsamic glaze or just a hint of my go-to balsamic vinaigrette, right before serving.
Tips For The Best Watermelon Feta Salad
Make big cubes. The goal is approximately 1-inch pieces. Small cubes release more liquid.
Use a platter, not a bowl. Bowls collect juice at the bottom and the last servings sit in a puddle.
Salt at the very end. Salt draws out water, so sprinkle it right before serving.
Tear the herbs. This makes it super simple to put together the salad!
Make Ahead And Storage Tips
This watermelon feta salad is best freshly made, so we have a few tips for making it ahead:
To make ahead, cut the watermelon and refrigerate; add feta before serving. Chopped watermelon releases a lot of liquid, so the best way to make this salad in advance is to chop and store the melon separately. Make up the salad right before serving.
Leftovers are not ideal, but store up to 2 days. This salad is sub-optimal as leftovers because it releases so much juice. It does work, but it’s better for laid back lunches than impressing dinner guests.
Variations On Watermelon Feta Salad
There are lots of variations on watermelon feta salad, swapping in different cheeses, herbs, and dressings. Here are a few options:
Mint: This watermelon mint salad is a favorite variation: omit the feta and add lime juice and mint.
Chop the watermelon and arrange it on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with feta crumbles, basil or mint, and kosher salt. Add lemon zest or black pepper if desired.
Serve immediately. If making ahead, refrigerate the cubed watermelon separately: it releases a large amount of water after it is cut. Then assemble the salad right before serving. Leftovers store for up to 2 days.
The watermelon smash is a refreshing summer drink that pairs melon with lime, rum and vodka. Serve over crushed ice!
Here’s a watermelon drink idea that’s the definition of refreshing: the Watermelon Smash! My fruity spin on the classic Whiskey Smash is delicately sweet, the best combination of pure melon with fresh mint.
Using both vodka and rum adds intrigue in flavor here, though you can opt for just vodka for simplicity. Serve it with crushed ice, and it’s a refreshingly delicious signature drink for sipping poolside or next to the grill: one of my summer cocktail favorites!
What Makes a Smash?
The watermelon smash is a spin on the Whiskey Smash using watermelon, fresh mint, and vodka. The Whiskey Smash originated in the Victorian era as a cooling summer cocktail, and was first published in a bartender guide in 1887.
That first smash had lemon, mint, whiskey, and sweetener, and served with crushed ice. Many variations have popped up over time, like my Berry Vodka Smash and the Gin Basil Smash. This version with watermelon is another fruity spin on the classic!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The watermelon smash is a fruity spin on the vodka smash; for this recipe I used both vodka and rum to bring extra nuance in flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
Watermelon cubes (or watermelon juice): Ripe melon makes all the difference. If you’re mixing more than a drink or two, blend up a batch of watermelon juice first.
Fresh mint leaves: The backbone of any smash!
Vodka and white rum: I love what a little white rum does alongside the vodka, but you can use just vodka (I like Tito’s).
Lime juice: Just a splash brightens the melon; lemon works too if that’s what you have.
Simple syrup: Just a touch, since the watermelon is doing most of the sweetening.
Crushed ice: This is another signature of the smash.
How to Make Crushed Ice
The most characteristic part of a smash cocktail? The crushed ice! What’s the best way to crush ice? Luckily, we’ve tried a bunch of methods and found the best way. And no: you don’t have to whack at ice with a rolling pin! Here’s the best way to crush ice:
Place the ice in a blender.
Fill the blender about halfway with cold water. This is the important part! The water helps everything blend to a uniform size.
Pulse until it’s uniformly crushed, then strain. Pick out any large chunks with your fingers, but this method should result in a great texture.
3 Tips for Making a Watermelon Smash
Once you’ve got your crushed ice, let’s get started! Here are a few tips for making this drink (or skip right to the recipe below):
Use watermelon cubes or make the juice. If you’re planning to make more than one drink, make Watermelon Juice in a blender first.
Muddle the mint gently to release the oils. Here are all our tips on How to Muddle Mint, including equipment.
Use vodka and white rum for best flavor, or go just vodka. We love the flavor combination of both! But if you don’t have rum on hand, just vodka is good too.
Variations and Substitutions
Top it with bubbles. For a more sippable drink, add a splash of seltzer or club soda after straining.
Make it a mocktail. Skip the vodka and rum and lean on watermelon juice, lime, mint, and add some tonic water.
Batch it for a crowd. Blend a pitcher of watermelon juice, then scale the spirits and lime to match. Muddle the mint in the pitcher, stir, and serve over crushed ice.
Add the mint to a cocktail shaker and muddle it gently. Add the watermelon cubes and use the muddler to release all of the juice. (If you’re using watermelon juice, simply muddle the mint first then add the juice in Step 3.)
Add the vodka, rum, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill with ice and shake until cold.
Fill a lowball glass with the crushed ice, then strain in the drink. Garnish with additional watermelon slices and mint.
Notes
*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
This Finnish long drink recipe mixes gin, grapefruit soda, and a splash of cranberry into Finland’s famous fizzy cocktail. It takes 3 minutes and one glass!
Here’s a unique highball cocktail that I highly recommend giving a try: the Finnish Long Drink! This concoction of gin and grapefruit soda was invented in Finland in the 1950’s, and now you can find it pretty much everywhere.
Why not make it homemade? As a cocktail expert I really love any type of long drink (aka highball cocktail), and this one is so fizzy, sweet tart and refreshing.
What is a Long Drink?
A long drink is another name for a highball: a family of cocktails with a larger percentage of mixer than alcohol, usually a fruit juice or soda water. Typically they’re served over ice and often in a tall highball glass. Some famous long drinks? The Tom Collins, Long Island Iced Tea, or Screwdriver.
The Story Behind the Finnish Long Drink
The Finnish long drink (aka lonkero) is a highball cocktail served in Finland, a combination of gin and usually grapefruit soda. It was invented at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games in Finland: a stroke of genius by the government to tackle the problem of serving drinks to a massive crowd. It caught on and today is served all over Finland, often on tap at restaurants.
Today you can find a canned cocktail in the US called “The Finnish Long Drink.” It’s a company was created by former Finnish exchange students who wanted to bring the signature drink to the America.
Ingredients in a Long Drink
Here’s what you need for this recipe I made inspired by the Finnish long drink concept:
Gin: The traditional spirit for lonkero. Use a dry style or a smooth mixing gin; I like Malfy Originale for mixed drinks.
Grapefruit soda: The classic mixer for a Finnish long drink. You should be able to find a grapefruit soda at your local grocery store, but if not you can opt for a lime soda. The grapefruit does lend a nice citrus balance, so it’s what I like using.
Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed, always. Unsweetened cranberry juice (optional): My secret ingredient! It adds a nice color and a tart flavor. I like to use 100% cranberry juice, since “cranberry juice cocktail” has added sugar and a more muted color.
How To Make A Long Drink
Long drinks are some of the easiest cocktails to make: because most of them you can build in the glass! Instead of dirtying a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, simply pour each ingredient into the glass and enjoy. Here’s how to make a Finnish long drink:
Add 2 ounces gin and ½ ounce each lemon juice and unsweetened cranberry juice to an ice-filled highball glass.
Top with 4 ounces grapefruit soda. Enjoy!
If you’d like a cocktail bar look, serve the drink with clear ice: it’s crystal clear ice you can make at home and cut into organic shapes. It makes a highball, in my opinion!
What Does a Long Drink Taste Like?
A long drink tastes bubbly, citrusy, and lightly sweet, with some juniper notes from the gin. It’s sweeter and more fruity than a Gin and Tonic and more nuanced than a Vodka Soda.
Variations To Try
Skip the cranberry for a classic Finnish-style lonkero: just gin, grapefruit soda, and a squeeze of lemon.
Try a lime soda if you can’t find grapefruit (cranberry-lime is a popular flavor in Finland)
Lighten it up: Reader Pam mixes her long drinks with Fresca, a zero-sugar grapefruit soda, for a lower-calorie spin.
Swap the spirit: Try vodka for a mild long drink, or tequila for something like a Paloma.
This Finnish long drink recipe mixes gin, grapefruit soda, and a splash of cranberry into Finland’s famous fizzy cocktail. It takes 3 minutes and one glass!
In an ice-filled highball glass, stir together the gin, lemon juice, and cranberry juice. Top with the grapefruit soda. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge, if desired.
Notes
*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
What is sparkling water, aka carbonated water or seltzer water? Is it good for you? Here’s what you need to know about this bubbly beverage.
These days grocery store shelves are loaded with dizzying colorful cans of sparkling water from breands lik LaCroix to Sprindrift. But what is it exactly, and how is it different from carbonated water or seltzer? Is it good for you and your teeth? How is it different from club soda?
Here I’ll break down the technical terminology and clear up the health benefits (spoiler: don’t worry about your teeth!). And, I’ll share some of our favorite drink recipes starring this bubbly mixer.
What is Sparkling Water? Is it Seltzer Water?
What is sparkling water? Is it the same thing as carbonated water or seltzer water? What about club soda? Here are some of the differences between these very similar products:
Sparkling water, also known as seltzer water, soda water, or carbonated water, is water with no additives, carbonated by injecting carbon dioxide (CO2). It’s the base for brands like La Croix, or what comes out of a SodaStream.
Sparkling mineral water is water from a natural mineral spring that’s been carbonated. Examples of brands are Perrier or Topo Chico.
Keep in mind, many sparkling water brands have added flavors or sweeteners. Make sure to look for brands with no additives for your regular drinking, or if you’re using it for a cocktail that calls for soda water.
Sparkling Water vs Club soda vs Tonic Water
Sparkling water has a few differences from other types of carbonated beverages. Here’s what to know about club soda and tonic water:
Club soda is carbonated water infused with added minerals, which give it a salty or lightly sweet flavor. Club soda is most often used for cocktails. Stick to sparkling water for your regular drinking.
Tonic water is carbonated water with added quinine and sugar. It was first sold commercially in the 1850’s as a way to drink quinine, prescribed at the time to fight malaria. It tastes sweet and bitter, and is mostly used in cocktails, like the classic gin and tonic.
Is Sparkling Water Good For You?
Yes, as long as you stick to unflavored sparkling water with no additives and sugars! Sparkling water is just as hydrating as still, and some studies show it may have benefits for digestion.
Is sparkling water bad for your teeth? No, as long as its plain and unflavored. The American Dental Association indicates studies show that water and sparkling water have the same minimal impact on tooth enamel. Even better, it’s much better for your teeth than sugary drinks and soda. Keep in mind, though: citrus-flavored waters do have higher acid levels that increase the risk of damage to your enamel, so try to enjoy them in one sitting or with meals.
Can You Make Carbonated Water?
Yes! There are lots of home carbonation systems on the market, due to the massive interest in sparkling water. The advantage to these systems? There’s much less aluminum can or bottle waste! I use a SodaStream to make our own water on demand.
What’s The Best Sparkling Water?
This is where personal palate takes over, because “best” really depends on what you’re after. Topo Chico and Perrier have more pronounced carbonation: Spindrift (made with real squeezed fruit) and LaCroix have a gentler fizz.
In my opinion, I absolutely love Topo Chico and San Pellegrino, especially for pairing with a meal. I drink LaCroix most of the time otherwise. Here’s a quick side-by-side of the brands:
Sparkling water or seltzer water have been used in cocktails for hundreds of years. You can use club soda interchangeably in cocktail recipes since it’s so similar. Add bubbles to wine and you’ve got a wine spritzer! Add it to gin and you’ve got a Gin Rickey or go non-alcoholic with a Lime Rickey or Cherry Lime Rickey. There are so many tasty drinks try: here are some of the most popular:
This iconic Cuban drink is one of the greats, popularized by Ernest Hemingway in the 1930's. Here’s a recipe for it that’s spot on perfection: not too sweet, bubbly, and minty fresh.
The gin rickey cocktail was born in the 1880s and has been popular ever since. Here's a mocktail version of it featuring sparkling water and raspberry syrup!
This nostalgic classic cocktail that’s about as classic as it gets! This tall highball drink is a gin sour, a sweet and sour drink made with gin, lemon and sparkling water.
Here’s a refreshing way to drink your favorite whiskey: the classic Whiskey Highball with sparkling water! This two-ingredient cocktail originated around the turn of the 20th century and it’s still popular to this day.
Diluting wine with sparkling water started back in the 19th century, as a way to make bubbly wine. The name comes from the German word “spritzen,” meaning “to spray.”
The spritz was invented back in the 1800’s in Italy as a way to water down sparkling wine by mixing in…well, water! It wasn’t until the 1950’s that the Aperol spritz took the form it has today, with Aperol, Prosecco, and sparkling water.
Try these bubbly drinks with sparkling water (aka seltzer or carbonated water)! The Lime Rickey is outrageously refreshing drink with lime and soda water. Or go for a Vodka Soda: a tangy, bubbly cocktail!
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