One word.
Margaritas…
I can’t remember the last time I was out with friends for margaritas, but its honestly the first thing I am going to do when shelter-in-place is over and our restaurants open back up.
There is something so perfect about these salted watermelon lime minted margaritas. They are the perfect way to start off Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Every year, I look forward to Cinco de Mayo since it is the mark to warm weather that is about to head our way and also an excuse to stuff my face with all the Mexican food and drink I can find. I will definitely be making these margaritas come Tuesday.
To give a little background to when I decided to test these margaritas out. I grew up with a mom that loved to garden. She would always have fresh herbs in her backyard and in the summer we would use all of her garden herbs and veggies in our meals. One day my mom had a surplus of mint that she needed to use, so we decided to make watermelon water.
Watermelon water is when you mash lime juice, mint and honey at the bottom of a glass, then you top the muddled mint combination with ice and pour blended watermelon on top. It is a super flavorful and really hydrating drink. I could live off of watermelon water and as soon as I have one in my hands on a summer day, so quickly the drink is empty. It is so hard to not drink all of this in one minute!
So I knew I had to try to make this into a margarita that way it can have the same great taste as watermelon water but in margarita for for Cinco de Mayo. So that’s when we call in the big guns. Tequila. Now, if you know me, you will know my drink of choice is anything with Tequila in it. My only reasoning is its the least touched alcohol so one could argue that it is the best for you. But in all seriousness, Tequila is the one liquor that doesn’t hurt my stomach as much. I don’t get nearly as bad of hangovers when I drink it. So with the addition of tequila, the only other step needed to turn this from watermelon water to a margarita is a classic salted rim.
I love to just use the juice of a lime to wipe around the top of the rim then press the rim into some flaky Maldon Sea Salt. It is the perfect combo and works every time to give you the perfect salted rim.
Each day until Cinco De Mayo, I plan on posting another recipe that can be used to celebrate on the actual 5th of May. I plan on making a side recipe tomorrow, a main course on Monday and will post an amazing dessert on the actual day. So keep an eye out the rest of this week and start to next week for some Cinco de Mayo recipes or favorite Mexican inspired dishes!
You can enjoy these margaritas two ways just like in a restaurant. The first is to pour over ice, which is probably my favorite since it’s a bit quicker. However, if you’d like, you can freeze the watermelon and use that to blend and the drink turns out frozen and perfectly smooth. I would highly recommend freezing the watermelon if you plan on enjoying these on a hot summer day. I picture these being enjoyed on a front porch, late night while the sun goes down on a summer day.
Margaritas just give me life!
Salted Watermelon Mint Margaritas
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups fresh watermelon (frozen works just as good)
- 8-10 sprigs mint
- 2 limes (juiced)
- 2 tsp honey
- 4 oz tequila
- flaky sea salt
- Optional: Fresh Mint for Garnish
Instructions
- If you want to make these margaritas frozen, start by cutting the watermelon into cubes, then freeze in an air tight container for 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Otherwise, take the watermelon (frozen or not) and toss into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. 15-30 seconds.
- Next, rim your glass if wanting salt. Take a lime and squeeze the juice around the rim. Sprinkle some flaky sea salt into a shallow dish. Flip the glass over and press into the salt. The salt should stick to the rim.
- Divide the mint, juice from limes and honey between two glasses. Muddle the mint with a muddler or the bottom of a wooden spoon (I also use the end of my rolling pin). Pour in 1-2 oz. of tequila in each glass. Fill the glasses with crushed ice and pour the watermelon mixture over the top. Garnish with a slice of lime or some mint.
Notes
