The Watermelon Margarita recipe
with fresh melon juice
Blend 100 grams of watermelon without the rind or seeds with an immersion blender and pour the juice through a fine sieve.
Make a half salt rim: run a lime wedge around the outside of the tumbler and roll that half in coarse sea salt.
Fill the glass with fresh ice.
Shake tequila, watermelon juice, triple sec, and lime juice with plenty of ice for 12 seconds.
Double strain into the tumbler and garnish with a watermelon triangle.
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The story
Who first served a Watermelon Margarita has not been recorded, but the combination is thoroughly Mexican. Agua fresca de sandía, watermelon blended with water, lime, and a little sugar, is an everyday drink in Mexico at markets and street stalls. In the same places, they sell pieces of watermelon with lime, salt, and chili powder. From there, it is a small step to tequila. In the United States, where the Margarita has been a firm classic since the 1950s, the watermelon version grew into a summer favorite. The fruit itself originally comes from Africa and consists of more than ninety percent water. That is precisely why it works in a cocktail: it adds flavor and length without making the drink syrupy.
The right glass
You drink a Watermelon Margarita over ice, so a 32 to 38 cl tumbler is the logical choice. With the watermelon juice, you have around 15 cl of cocktail, and you want to pour that over fresh ice without filling the glass to the brim. The wide, straight opening leaves room for a half salt rim, so you can choose for yourself with every sip. The pink color comes through best in clear, thin glass. View our tumbler glasses.
Eclat Longchamp Tumbler 32 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Aria Tumbler 38 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
For a Watermelon Margarita, besides the glass, you’ll need a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine-mesh strainer for double straining, and lime salt for the rim. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you’ll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 151,70.
What do you make a Watermelon Margarita with?
You need tequila for a Watermelon Margarita. Well-known bottles include Cointreau, Don Julio Blanco and Patrón. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it goes with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Make it frozen with frozen watermelon cubes instead of ice: blend 150 grams with the tequila, triple sec and lime, as with the Frozen Margarita. If you leave out the triple sec and use 1.5 cl agave syrup, you have a watermelon version of the Tommy's Margarita. Two slices of jalapeño in the shaker make it spicy, just like the Spicy Margarita. With vodka instead of tequila and some mint, you get the Watermelon cocktail.
Serving tip
Freeze a few watermelon cubes and use them in the glass instead of ice cubes. As they thaw, the cocktail won't become watery but will instead become even more flavorful. Mix some Tajín into the salt for a spicy, Mexican rim.
Good to know
Choosing a ripe watermelon
A ripe watermelon feels heavy for its size because it consists almost entirely of water. Look at the spot on the bottom where the melon rested on the ground: creamy yellow means it had enough time to ripen, while white or pale green means it was picked too early. Tap it with your knuckles: a ripe melon sounds dull and hollow. If you buy a piece, choose deep-red flesh without white streaks or grainy, dry spots. A watermelon does not continue to ripen after picking, so what you buy is what you get.
How to make watermelon juice without pulp
Cut off the rind and the white part, as they taste like cucumber and make the juice bitter. With seedless melon, you can leave the soft, white seeds in; remove black seeds, otherwise they will break down and make the juice astringent. Purée the flesh briefly and pour it through a fine sieve, or press it through a tea strainer with the rounded side of a spoon. Allow 6 to 7 cl of juice per 100 grams of flesh. Fresh juice keeps for one day in the refrigerator, but loses some of its fresh flavor after just a few hours.
How much watermelon per margarita
This recipe uses 6 cl of juice in a classic base of 5 cl of tequila, 2 cl of triple sec, and 2 cl of lime juice. More juice makes the drink longer and lighter, but also flatter: at 10 cl, you mainly taste watermelon and very little tequila. Below 4 cl, the watermelon is barely noticeable alongside the lime. If your melon is pale or not very sweet, add 0.5 cl of agave syrup instead of more juice. The lime juice always remains 2 cl, because without that acidity, watermelon quickly becomes overly sweet and flat.
Salt, Tajín, or chili salt on the rim
Salt and watermelon belong together: a few grains on the tongue make the melon taste sweeter and fuller. Coarse sea salt is the classic choice. Tajín, a Mexican blend of chili powder, dried lime, and salt, adds a spicy, tangy edge that is also commonly sprinkled over fresh melon in Mexico. If you want to make it yourself, mix coarse salt with a pinch of chili powder and some grated lime zest. Always make only a half rim: that way, each guest can choose with every sip, and no salt falls into the drink itself.
Watermelon Margarita for a group
This is one of the easiest margaritas to make ahead. For six glasses, purée 600 grams of melon and strain out 36 cl of juice. Mix it with 30 cl of tequila and 12 cl of triple sec in a pitcher from our pitchers collection and chill it for at least an hour. Squeeze 12 cl of lime juice just before serving and stir it in; otherwise, the color will become duller. Shake briefly with ice for every two glasses, or, if you're in a hurry, pour it directly over plenty of ice. It will be slightly less cold and airy, but the flavor will still be right.
Difference from the Watermelon cocktail
There are two watermelon drinks on this site, and they are very different. The Watermelon cocktail is a long drink with vodka, mint and plenty of watermelon juice in a highball glass: light, neutral and above all refreshing. The Watermelon Margarita remains a margarita. Tequila gives it a spicy, slightly peppery agave flavor, the triple sec brings orange and body, and the salt rim makes it more savory. It is shorter and stronger, with about as much alcohol as a regular margarita. If you want something to drink all afternoon, choose the vodka version.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Watermelon Margarita?
A Watermelon Margarita contains 5 cl of 100% agave tequila, 6 cl of fresh watermelon juice, 2 cl of triple sec and 2 cl of fresh lime juice. Shake everything with ice and double-strain into a tumbler with fresh ice and half a salt rim. Garnish with a watermelon triangle.
Can you use watermelon juice from a carton?
You can, but fresh is clearly better. Watermelon juice quickly loses its fresh flavor, and juice from a carton is usually pasteurized, making it sweeter and flatter. If you use it anyway, choose unsweetened juice and add an extra half centiliter of lime juice.
How do you make a frozen Watermelon Margarita?
Cut the watermelon into cubes and freeze them for at least four hours. Blend 150 grams of frozen watermelon with 5 cl tequila, 2 cl triple sec and 2.5 cl lime juice until smooth. No ice is needed: the frozen watermelon provides the texture, and the flavor is not diluted.
Which glass do you use for a Watermelon Margarita?
A 32 to 38 cl tumbler with fresh ice and half a salt rim. If you serve it straight up or frozen, a margarita glass is a better fit. Choose clear glass so the pink color stands out and you can see the watermelon triangle on the rim.
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