--- title: Summer Drink Recipe: Classic Spiked Watermelon Punch from 1948 description: For adults of drinking age, the spiked watermelon has been a beach party staple since at least the 1940s. canonical: https://time.com/3957314/spiked-watermelon/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-23T12:00:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:15.934Z og:title: Summer Drink Recipe: Classic Spiked Watermelon Punch from 1948 og:description: For adults of drinking age, the spiked watermelon has been a beach party staple since at least the 1940s. og:url: https://time.com/3957314/spiked-watermelon/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c81b9092b8390a8/69885acf35ba6f34f8c0e2be/150714-alcoholic-watermelon-08.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2100 og:image:height: 1181 og:image:alt: Spiked Watermelon Punch 1948 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Summer Drink Recipe: Classic Spiked Watermelon Punch from 1948 twitter:description: For adults of drinking age, the spiked watermelon has been a beach party staple since at least the 1940s. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c81b9092b8390a8/69885acf35ba6f34f8c0e2be/150714-alcoholic-watermelon-08.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How to Make Summer Watermelon Punch for a 1940s Party  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Jul 23, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  Spiking the watermelon. Guitar optional. Spiking the watermelon. Guitar optional.Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Jul 23, 2015 12:00 PM UTC A 1940s beach party might conjure images of chaste bathing suits and innocent fun, but even the party people of yesteryear had a few tricks up their sleeves. One of the best: spiked watermelon. It may seem like an invention of the _Girls Gone Wild_ era, but beachgoers have been pouring vodka into their watermelons since [Joe Francis’](http://www.people.com/article/Arrest-Warrant-Issued-for-Girls-Gone-Wild-Founder-Joe-Francis) _parents_ were in diapers. Times have changed since LIFE photographed this spiked watermelon party in 1948, but the [recipe](http://www.food.com/recipe/spiked-watermelon-98727) is still as simple as ever: about 3 cups of vodka funneled into a 10 lb. watermelon to spike the fruit itself; or into a hollowed-out rind along with the juices of the melon, to create a punch served inside the fruit. Bonus points for huddling around the melon Kumbaya-style and sipping through straws side by side. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Spiked watermelon beach party in San Diego, 1948. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The ingredients: liquor, a watermelon. The tools: a knife, a spoon, a bowl. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Removing the top of the watermelon. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Scooping out the contents of the watermelon. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Straining the watermelon juices and snacking along the way. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Straining watermelon juice back into the watermelon. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Pouring the liquids back into the watermelon. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Spiking the watermelon. Guitar optional. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Feasting on the leftover fruit. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Sipping the final product through straws. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Dusk on the beach, finds Californians still playing "horsie" or stretched out sipping watermelon punch. Allan Grant—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Huddled round the watermelons for warmth and sustenance. 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