Can You Drink Watermelon Juice and Coffee Together? How to Make Watermelon Sparkling American Cold Brew Coffee at Home?

In hot weather, there's no problem that a slice of watermelon can't solve. If there is one, then eat two slices... The pairing of summer and iced watermelon has long been universally acknowledged. Recently, FrontStreet Coffee noticed a chain brand launching several watermelon-flavored iced coffees, which sparked a ripple of inspiration, making us want to create one to satisfy our craving.

FrontStreet Coffee discovered through searching the keywords "watermelon" and "iced coffee" that compared to milk, juicy watermelon is more suitable for pairing with refreshing black coffee. To satisfy our craving, FrontStreet Coffee has put together three different combinations: Watermelon Sparkling Americano, Watermelon Cold Brew Coffee, and Watermelon "Ice" Pour-Over. Without further ado, let's get started!

Watermelon Sparkling Americano

As another summer cooling weapon, chilled carbonated beverages come with lively bubbles. Taking a sip during muggy heat is refreshing and invigorating. While the texture is bold, it's very accommodating to other foods, making it especially suitable as a base for creative mixed drinks. When combined with coffee and watermelon juice, it not only provides an extra layer of stimulation but also further enhances the fresh aroma of watermelon, creating a subtle taste interaction on the palate.

As the saying goes, choosing the right ingredients makes the job twice as effective with half the effort. First, sweeter fresh watermelon is key, and the more juice, the better for our preparation. It's best to choose seedless varieties, which not only makes juicing easier but also allows for indulgent eating anytime—truly satisfying!

Ingredients: Fresh watermelon, a bottle of plain sparkling water, espresso, ice cubes.

Preparation Steps:

First, cut the watermelon into small cubes and place them in a glass, pressing firmly to extract juice. Then strain all the pulp (if you enjoy the chewy texture, you can choose not to strain). Those with conditions can use a juicer directly and then strain with a sieve, ensuring not a single drop of juice is wasted.

Next, prepare another glass, add 80g of ice cubes, and pour in all the strained watermelon juice, filling about half the glass.

Then top up with sparkling water to 80% full. Immediately after, extract a double shot of espresso using Nuan Yang blend, and drizzle it in to complete. Note that due to the reaction between hot and cold, sparkling water can react violently, causing splashing and spillage. FrontStreet Coffee suggests slowly drizzling the espresso over the ice cubes.

The prepared Watermelon Sparkling Americano should be tasted immediately after stirring. The first sip brings the slight bitterness of the oils and the stimulating sensation of carbonated water; the second sip reveals the fresh aroma of watermelon and the espresso's own berry acidity and caramel notes. It's especially suitable for sleepy afternoons—refreshing and invigorating.

Watermelon Cold Brew Coffee

Considering that we always adhere to the principle of simplicity in summer eating, FrontStreet Coffee's original intention for unlocking this coffee was the same. As long as you have cold brew at home, from buying watermelon to tasting requires only a few simple steps, allowing you to easily make the same version at home.

For the coffee part, FrontStreet Coffee directly used the "inventory" from the refrigerator—a cold brew made with Colombia Rose Valley, which after three days of fermentation, produces a taste reminiscent of peaches and fermented fruit wine. For preparation, simply place 60g of ice cubes in a glass first, pour in fresh-squeezed watermelon juice to half the glass, then drizzle in 120g of cold brew coffee liquid, and you're done.

Compared to the previous coffee, this Watermelon Cold Brew uses relatively gentle ingredients, so we can more clearly perceive the fermented flavors of the beans, as well as the sweet fruitiness brought by the iced watermelon juice.

Watermelon "Ice" Pour-Over

Those who frequently make iced pour-over should know that to make this extraction method taste good, three basic conditions must be met: strong enough, cold enough, and flavorful enough. The principle behind this is high concentration and high extraction. Therefore, to perfectly integrate the sweet and juicy sensation of watermelon with iced pour-over, we naturally cannot adopt a splicing method, which not only weakens the coffee flavor but also results in a watery texture when ice cubes are added.

To avoid excessive dilution of the coffee, FrontStreet Coffee had a flash of inspiration and remembered the "pre-prepared dish" we played with before—coffee ice. We freeze watermelon juice into ice cubes in the freezer, replacing the original colorless and tasteless pure ice, which should achieve an iced pour-over with both coffee and watermelon flavors. (Before brewing, pour fresh watermelon juice into molds, seal them, and place in the freezer for more than 5 hours. Take them out before brewing for use.)

In terms of coffee bean selection, FrontStreet Coffee suggests prioritizing medium-light roast types, which won't easily overpower the watermelon flavor, making the iced coffee's layers richer. Here, FrontStreet Coffee uses Sidamo Elto for iced brewing. This bean comes from the high-altitude regions of Sidamo, Ethiopia, and carries sweet aromas of lychee, rose, and blueberry when brewed, suitable for both hot and cold preparations.

Coffee beans: Sidamo Elto
Powder amount: 15g
Powder-to-water ratio: 1:10
Watermelon ice: 4 cubes (100g)
Water temperature: 92-93°C
Grind size: EK43s setting -9 / C40 hand grinder setting 22

For the pouring technique, FrontStreet Coffee still uses our familiar three-stage method. Place 100g of watermelon juice ice cubes in the lower pot, then pour 15g of ground coffee powder into the filter cup and gently tap level. For the first stage, use a small water flow of 3-4ml/s to continuously pour in a circular motion from the center outward, injecting 30g of hot water for a 30-second bloom;

After 30 seconds, use the same technique to inject the second 60g of water, being careful not to raise the liquid level too high, which can cause under-extraction; When the coffee liquid is about to dry up, pour all the remaining 60g of hot water in small circular motions with a small flow. Finally, the extraction time should fall around 1 minute 50 seconds to 2 minutes. Remove the filter cup, and thoroughly shake the coffee liquid with the watermelon ice before tasting.

The coffee made this way looks like iced watermelon juice accidentally mixed with black coffee—it appears quite cloudy. Upon tasting, it carries the caramel notes and bitterness of coffee along with the sweetness of watermelon, while also producing a hint of cucumber flavor. Unfortunately, the textures don't blend well together. While not undrinkable, it's not stunning either.

Well, that's all for FrontStreet Coffee's playful experiment today. If you like it, learn it quickly—you might just make your friends look at you with "melon"-gazing admiration~

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