Bright, fruity and ice-cold, this Ruby Tuesday watermelon martini drinks like summer in a glass.
Photo by Rusty Gillespie
Copycat Ruby Tuesday Watermelon Martini Cocktail
Ruby Tuesday Watermelon Martini is a refreshing cocktail featuring vodka, watermelon flavor, and citrus, shaken and served chilled in a martini glass.
This one’s all about keeping it clean and cold. Don’t overcomplicate it. Fresh watermelon flavor, a little citrus to sharpen it, and a solid chill. That’s the whole play.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Summer drinks, casual cocktails, happy hour, and light entertaining.
- Flavor Profile: Sweet, fruity, lightly tart, and refreshing.
- Skill Level: Easy.
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: Clean watermelon flavor and balanced citrus recreate the bright, drinkable style.
Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday built its brand around approachable American dining with a strong emphasis on casual cocktails and bar offerings. Founded in 1972, the chain became known for its relaxed atmosphere and broad menu that blends comfort food with lighter options.
Over time, the bar program evolved to include seasonal and limited-time cocktails designed to match current trends and seasonal ingredients. Drinks like the Watermelon Martini reflect that approach, offering a fresh, fruit-forward option that fits warm-weather menus and casual dining occasions.
A Summer LTO That Makes Sense
Fruit-forward martinis became especially popular in American casual dining during the late 1990s and 2000s, evolving from the classic martini into a broader category of chilled, shaken cocktails.
Watermelon, with its naturally high water content and mild sweetness, works particularly well in this format, creating a lighter, more refreshing drink. These cocktails are typically balanced with citrus to prevent them from becoming overly sweet, resulting in a drink that feels both easygoing and polished.
Ruby Tuesday Watermelon Martini Cocktail Recipe
Bright, fruity and ice-cold, this Ruby Tuesday watermelon martini drinks like summer in a glass.
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Vodka
- 2 ounces Watermelon Juice
- 1 ounce Triple Sec
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed Lime Juice
- 1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
- Ice
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add vodka, watermelon juice, triple sec, lime juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake well until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Serve immediately, cold.
Related Copycat Recipes
- Bonefish Grill Blueberry Lemon Drop Martini Cocktail – Bright lemon and sweet blueberry come together in a smooth, refreshing martini with a clean citrus finish.
- Cheesecake Factory Key Lime Cheesecake – Sweet-tart lime meets rich cheesecake for a dessert that disappears fast
- Joe’s Seafood Cleveland Cocktail – Classic seafood-house cocktail with crisp citrus notes and polished martini-bar style
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Questions People Ask
Is this a traditional martini?
No. It is a fruit-based cocktail served in a martini glass rather than a classic gin and vermouth martini.
Can I use fresh watermelon?
Yes. Fresh watermelon can enhance flavor and provide a more natural taste.
What type of vodka works best?
A clean, neutral vodka allows the watermelon flavor to stand out.
Is this drink very sweet?
It is lightly sweet, balanced with citrus to keep it refreshing.
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Photo of “Watermelon Martini” is by Rusty Gillespie and is used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.enlegalcode.en. Photo of “”Ruby Tuesday” Restaurant” is by Mike Mozart and is used by permission under the CC BY 2.0 Deed Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en. Thank you, Rusty and Mike. Great Pictures. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is original to Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes. Recipe created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes based on information from the restaurant and other sources on the internet – many courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.