A change up from the classic cocktail this Amped up Watermelon Margarita is bursting with the fruit flavor muddled with lots of lime juice but the first taste you get is the chili lime salt which  gives the drink a nice kick! (non-alcoholic option too!)

This Amped up Watermelon Margarita completely surprised me.  Im normally a purist and want the traditional margarita; on the rocks with regular salt.  But sometimes inspiration comes from different places in your life.

I have a busy Instagram account and when I made the Purple Tears Cocktail one of the comments on the IG photo was that they loved the Tajin’s Chili Limon Salt rim, but they suggested I try it on a watermelon Margarita.  Since I love love love salt on my watermelon (Ive been told it’s a midwest thing) I thought well why not give it a whirl! Wow, its a nice zesty burst that pairs perfectly with the sweet, fruity watermelon!

SOME HISTORY ABOUT MARGARITA’S:

The classic Margarita has several people who claim to have created the recipe. When looking up over 20 sources the consensus is that it came from one of two people.

A bartender in Tijuana claims he made it for an actress, Marjorie King, who was allergic to all hard alcohol but Tequilla.  He added the lime and salt to make it more refreshing.

The second most claimed inventor was a Dallas Socialite (coincidentally named Margarita Sames) who says she made it for a pool party where Tommy Hilton of that Hilton Hotel chain had it and then he liked it so much he added it to the hotel bar menu.

The frozen margarita machine was invented  in 2005 in Texas which allows for ease of serving them at bars everywhere.

The muddled watermelon works well in this drink.  I was concerned that the drink would be really “pulpy” and have to strain it, but because watermelon has so much water in it, it wasn’t bothersome at all.  I used a wooden muddler on my first testing, but using a quick whirl in a blender also worked to break down the watermelon.

 

BREAKDOWN OF AN AMPED UP WATERMELON MARGARITA:

Easy:  A muddler is a little consuming(but not a deal breaker), but since a blender can mix it just as easy its a breeze.

PREP for a Party:  You can pre-make an entire pitcher of these (recipe in notes section), just don’t pour over ice until you are ready to serve.

NON-Alcoholic Version:  Instead of the tequila add the same amount of sparkling water.

Serving Suggestions:  If you are serving this on a hot day, make the non-alcoholic version and freeze them into ice cubes.  They will keep your cocktail cold while not watering down the drink.

Cheers!

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