Spicy Watermelon Margarita
I can’t take credit for this refreshing summertime cocktail. My sister, Sara, was a bartender and makes delicious cocktails… and she is the one behind this recipe. We recently catered a small dinner party together and she created an awesome margarita bar. She had three different margaritas… the classic, a mango marg, and this one– the spicy watermelon. I got to be her taste tester and while they were all delicious (I really wanted to be hanging out at this party), the spicy watermelon margarita was definitely my favorite.
This margarita gets a lot of it’s sweetness from the fresh watermelon juice. I don’t have a juicer (although I want one) so I blended some chunks of watermelon in a blender (about a quarter of a large watermelon). Once it was really well blended, I strained the juice through a mesh strainer to remove the pulp. It takes a little patience but you only need one cup of fresh juice and it will be worth it.
Jalapeños give this cocktail it’s kick. I infused my tequila overnight by simply measuring out the tequila and putting it in a jar with slices from a jalapeño. This gave the tequila a nice mellow heat and jalapeño flavor. If you didn’t infuse your tequila, you could add jalapeños when you mix the margarita or have slices for people to add to their drinks individually.
This cocktail is delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day. The watermelon and jalpeño flavors compliment each other perfectly. While I love everything spicy, Raf does not, however he enjoyed this margarita. For those who do want a little extra extra heat, add some fresh jalapeño slices to the glass or try a chili salt rim. Enjoy!
Spicy Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups jalapeño infused tequila (see notes)
- 1/2 cup triplum
- 1 cup lime juice
- 1 cup fresh watermelon juice
- 3 tablespoons agave
- a few big handfuls of ice
- Optional: salt or chili salt for rim and watermelon wedges, lime slices and jalapeño slices for garnish.
Instructions
- COMBINE: In a pitcher, combine tequila, triple sec, lime juice, watermelon juice and agave. Add a few big handfuls of ice and stir really well so the margarita will be cold and some of the ice will melt (think of this as the equivalent of your margarita being shaken in a shaker).
- SERVE: Run a lime wedge along the rim of your glass and dip in salt or chili salt (if desired). Fill cup with ice and pour the margarita mixture over ice. Serve with a. garnish of watermelon, lime and/or jalapeño. Enjoy!
Notes:
Infusing your own tequila is quite simple but does require time. I measure out 1 1/2 cups of tequila the night before and add slices from 1 jalapeño. Cover and let it sit overnight so the tequila will have a mellow heat by the next day. If you want more heat, add more jalapeños or add more fresh jalapeños when you mix everything together. Also, if you want the spicy marg but haven't infused the tequila you could simply mix in some jalapeño slices when mix everything together.