Perfect Summer Spicy Watermelon Margarita

This post is going to show you how to make a delicious Spicy Watermelon Margarita! 

There’s truly nothing better on a Summer day than a Margarita! Originally a Margarita is made with tequila, fresh lime juice, agave, and a triple sec! The great thing about a Margarita is that the recipe can be altered to showcase different flavors, spice, tequilas, and more!

The Margarita we are going to make is an original Sweet Recipe of mine that showcases fresh watermelon juice and roasted jalapeño’s for a kick! Spice compliments refreshing watermelon beautifully and it makes for the perfect Summer cocktail.

Let’s get right into it! I call this:

“She’s All That” 

What You Will Need

Alcohol:

As expected, for this watermelon Margarita we are going to need a delicious tequila!! I have chosen to use Código Blanco. I absolutely love this tequila! It has notes of citrus, spice, and agave. It honestly doesn’t get much smoother than this. The citrus notes accentuate the fresh watermelon and roasted jalapeño that will be highlighted in this margarita! I do want to note that you may also use a tequila of choice if you have a favorite, this is just a recommendation on my part. I got my bottle at Total Wine and More but you can also find this tequila at Bevmo, Grocery Stores, and Liquor Stores! Código is also an excellent sipping tequila so it’s not a bad bottle to have on hand at the home bar.

Citrus and Other Fresh Ingredients:

This part of the recipe won’t stray from a traditional Margarita because we will be using Fresh Lime Juice! Lime juice and tequila truly are a match made in heaven. I HIGHLY recommend you only use fresh fruit juice in your cocktails. Trust me on this one, once you start squeezing your own juices you’ll never turn back! Your cocktails will have a more in depth taste and will be immediately elevated. In the photo above I’m using my stainless steel hand-pressed citrus juicer! I absolutely adore this thing. There’s such an ease with the squeeze, there’s a pour spout, and there’s never any mess! I love being able to chop up a couple chunks of lime, press down, and pour fresh juice right into my jigger. So satisfying! You can check one out identical to mine RIGHT HERE! Cheers to fresh ingredients!

Since this is a watermelon Margarita, you better believe that we’re going to be making Fresh Watermelon Juice!! Although this is a couple extra steps, it is SO worth it! Also who doesn’t like to have extra watermelon juice in the fridge for sipping? You will want to begin by slicing off the skin of the watermelon and chopping it into cubes as shown in the photo above. You can find a watermelon at any local grocery store in the summer! Make sure to pick one out that gives you a deep hollow sound when you slap it. That’s how you know the watermelon is very juicy!!

Next you will want to throw those watermelon chunks into a blender! I have always used a Ninja Blender. Not only do I use this blender for making juice, but I also use it for smoothies, sauces, chopping, and more! It’s so versatile. It shouldn’t take you very long at all to blend your watermelon. As soon as it is a liquid you can stop blending it! I got my Ninja from Target, but you can also get the exact same one as me RIGHT HERE!

After you have blended up your watermelon, you are going to need to run it through a Nut Milk Bag to get rid of all of the pulp! We want this watermelon Margarita to be silky smooth. As you can see in the photo above you are going to pour the contents of the blender into the nut milk bag, squeeze tightly, and push down releasing all of that sweet nectar! I suggest doing this over a large bowl. You can find cheap nut milk bags RIGHT HERE!

After the watermelon juice has been sifted through the nut milk bag you are good to go!! I love to store my fresh juices and syrups in olive oil bottles like shown in the photo above! They are easy to store, easy to pour, and add a professional aspect to your home bar! I actually found a really cool set on Amazon that comes with bottles, labels, pour spouts and more! I will link it RIGHT HERE!

Watermelon juice will last in the fridge for about 4-5 days! Always make sure you label and date your product. Another tip I have is to always taste your juice before mixing with it! Even if the date hasn’t passed yet. Since you are dealing with fresh ingredients, things can change quickly. You always want to make sure you are serving yourself and friends the best!

What’s going to make this watermelon Margarita spicy is a Roasted Jalapeño! In my opinion, there’s few things better than a roasted pepper. Add them into a cocktail and now we’re really talking! Let me run you through how to do this. Also keep in mind that this is how you can roast any pepper, so if you ever want to roast a bell pepper or a poblano you can use this same technique!

On a stove top or open grill, place a jalapeño onto an open flame. Slowly turn the jalapeño with tongs until it is blistered heavily on all sides. The room will start to smell like roasted peppers and that’s one of my favorite parts!

Once the jalapeño is blistered on all sides remove it from the heat and let it rest for about 2 minutes. If you want to loosen the skin even more you can place it in a bowl with Saran Wrap over top and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

You will hold the pepper in place by the stem with your non dominant hand and use your dominant hand to scrape off the skin of the pepper with a knife. As you can see in the photo above, the blistered skin is removed from the jalapeño and it leaves a soft and fleshy interior.

You will then want to take your jalapeño and cut it into little discs! Save all of the little pieces. Some of them will be muddled into the cocktail and the remainder will be used as garnish. Yum!!

Lastly you will need some Agave Nectar for sweetness! Agave is made from agave plants which is coincidentally the same plant that tequila is made from! That is why you will see most tequila and mezcal cocktails being sweetened with agave. They naturally go together and enhance certain flavors. We won’t need to much agave for this spicy watermelon Margarita, but agave is something you will always want to have on deck at your home bar! You can find agave at any local grocery store or you can find it online RIGHT HERE!

Bar Supplies:

The first thing you’re going to need to create this watermelon Margarita is a Shaker! I love to use the Boston Shaker which is what is pictured in the photo above! I love building drinks in two tins, the shake that you get, and everything about it! When you are shaking a drink you are diluting the cocktail and at the same time growing it in volume.

By all means use whatever shaker you have on hand, but if you want to check out a boston shaker like mine you can do so RIGHT HERE!

The next item that is a necessity for making ANY cocktail is a Jigger! A jigger is what you use to measure the liquid ingredients of a cocktail. A great cocktail is beautiful, consistent, and we balanced. You can attain all three of those requirements by using a jigger. My jigger shown in the photo above ranges in measurements from 1/4 oz to 2 oz! If you want to check out one identical to mine you can do so RIGHT HERE!

I must say that when I was just a beginner in the bartending world, I used a jigger that was much more simplified. It was great and truly let me build my skills with confidence. This jigger has only one side, very clear measurement lines, and a pour spout! If you’re just beginning and want to use this jigger to learn I will link the exact one I used to use RIGHT HERE!

To make this watermelon Margarita spicy we will need to use a Muddler to release all of that flavor from the roasted jalapeño! Muddlers are something you use to push down on ingredients and twist to release flavor, aromas, oils, and more! You do this before you shake a cocktail to ensure those ingredients are really broken down and are already releasing flavor. This is a must have tool for your home bar and a really cool way to start incorporating new flavors into your drinks!  I will attach the exact muddler I used to use in the bar RIGHT HERE!

Next, you will want to have a Hawthorne Strainer. A Hawthorne Strainer fits beautifully into the opening of a boston shaker. This strainer is preventing any large ingredients and large cubes of ice from entering your final cocktail! Sometimes if you push the little ledge thats under my index finger in the photo above all the way down you can stop most small shreds of ingredients from entering the final drink. You can check out a hawthorne strainer just like mine RIGHT HERE! Definitely something you will need to have in your home bar!

I also must mention that you will need ICE. Lots of people have fridges with an ice dispenser which is perfect for you to use. Alas, if you do not have accessible fridge ice, AKA ME, you will have to freeze your own! As you can see in the photo above I use a silicone perfect ice cube tray. You can find an identical one that comes with a LID right HERE! I am lucky enough to have a cocktail store near me as well that  carries perfect ice in every size but that is not always the most affordable option. I would still suggest you check if any such stores exist near your location! Although a little more pricey, definitely worth it in quality!!!

I do recommend that if you are starting to create multiple cocktails at home, you should invest in your own personal Bartending Kit. Most come with everything you will need as a beginner while others provide several items for more complex creations. I will put links to both a beginners set, and a more advanced set on Amazon below!

Beginners Kit : HERE

Advanced Kit : HERE

Let’s Build!