Watermelon Margarita (With Fresh Watermelon Juice)
The key to a perfect Watermelon Margarita lies within the fresh juice. Trust me, watermelon flavored syrups will NOT yield the same results that the real deal! Fresh watermelon juice not only creates the best watermelon flavor in the cocktail, but it also mixes with the agave to create a natural sweetness that’s sure to hit the spot.
If you’re not a fan of overly sweet drinks, you’ll love this margarita. It’s got a subtle sweetness that you can easily control with the amount of agave you add.
Even if you’re not making margaritas for the crowd, go ahead and make the batch of watermelon juice! You can easily store it in the fridge or freezer and pull it out when you need it. If you want to enjoy it through the weekend, store it in the fridge. For longer storing, pop it into the freezer. (And keep some frozen watermelon chunks for frozen watermelon margaritas too!)
Ingredient Notes
- Watermelon: Pick one that’s deep red inside, heavy for its size, and gives a dull, hollow thump when tapped. That tells you it’s ripe and will yield the most juice.
- Reposado tequila: I love the smoother, slightly aged flavor here, but a blanco tequila works too if that’s what you have. It’ll just taste a bit sharper.
- Cointreau: This orange liqueur rounds out the citrus flavor. Triple sec or Grand Marnier both work as a swap, though Grand Marnier will add a touch more sweetness.
- Agave nectar: No agave on hand? Simple syrup is an easy one-to-one substitute.
How to Make the Watermelon Juice
- Cut the watermelon into cubes and discard the rinds. You need a little over 1 lb. of watermelon chunks (without the rinds) for this cocktail recipe.
- Blend the watermelon cubes until you have a totally smooth puree with no chunks.
- Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer. You can use a spoon to help push the juices through the strainer.
Steps and Tips To Make the Watermelon Margaritas
- This step is optional, but highly recommended – salt rim! There is a very pleasant flavor balance between salty and sweet. Rub a lime along the edge of your glass and dip it in salt.
- You can use sugar if you’d prefer a sweeter sip, but I love the contrast of the salty and sweet watermelon flavors.
- Add ice, reposado tequila, Cointreau, watermelon juice, lime juice, and agave nectar to your cocktail shaker.
- Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds.
- Add some ice to your glass. Pour the margarita through a strainer into the glass.
- If you prefer, you can choose to use the dirty ice (ice from the strainer) instead if preferred.
How to Make a Pitcher for a Crowd
Multiply the ingredients by how many servings you need and combine everything except the ice in a pitcher. Stir well and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve, then pour over fresh ice right before serving so the margaritas don’t get watered down while they sit.
- For 4 servings: about 14 oz watermelon juice, 8 oz reposado tequila, 4 oz Cointreau, 4 oz lime juice, 2 oz agave nectar
- For 8 servings: double those amounts
Since fresh watermelon juice has a short shelf life, mix the pitcher no more than a few hours before your event for the best flavor.
What is Reposado Tequila?
- “Reposado” means “rested” in Spanish, which basically means that this type of tequila is rested anywhere from two months to a year before it’s bottled. The golden color of this tequila comes from the barrels where it’s rested, and it also really takes in that flavor.
- With reposado tequila, you get a smoother finish, hints of vanilla, and toasty, earthy notes from the barrel itself. Reposado tequila gives you the best of both worlds: the complexity of aged tequila, and the yummy flavor of young silver tequila!
How Much Juice Does a Watermelon Yield?
Watermelons are about 90% liquid, so it’s easy to tell how much you’ll be getting. Weight the watermelon chunks without the rind to measure how much liquid you’ll be getting. When I’m picking the size of the watermelon to purchase, I estimate that a 6-8 lb watermelon will provide me with 5-7 cups of fresh watermelon juice.
Storing and Freezing Watermelon Juice
- Storing: When storing watermelon juice in the fridge, I recommend using a glass jar with a lid that’s not made of metal. Metal tends to react badly when stored with foods that have acidic elements. These are the jars that I use at home (this is not an affiliate link): with coated lids and with hinged lids.
- When properly stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, watermelon juice will last 5-7 days. Want to keep it fresh for even longer? Freeze it!
- Freezing: Simply pour the watermelon juice into a freezer safe zip-top bag. Date and label it, then pop it in the freezer where it will last for up to 4 months.
- If you prefer, you can portion it into smaller batches, that way you can reach for it when you want to make individual cocktails instead of a whole batch.
How To Tell If the Watermelon Juice Went Bad?
Believe me, you’ll know! Expired watermelon juice has a pretty awful aroma to it that you’ll smell once you open the container. Along with the foul smell is an equally as sour tasting flavor. If you notice an off smell or flavor to your juice, that means it likely went bad and you should discard it. Keep an eye out for mold or discolorations as well.
Ways to Serve
With Mexican-inspired apps:
- The Best Guacamole and chips
- Homemade Salsa
- Hot 7 Layer Dip
For a backyard get-together:
Garnish ideas:
- A small watermelon cube or wedge on the rim
- A lime wheel
- A fresh mint or basil leaf for extra aroma
Watermelon Margarita Recipe FAQs
You can make the watermelon juice up to 2 days ahead and store it in the fridge, but I’d wait to mix the full cocktail until closer to serving time so it stays fresh and doesn’t dilute.
Swap the tequila and Cointreau for orange juice or sparkling water, then add a little extra lime juice and agave to keep the balance. It won’t taste exactly the same, but it makes a refreshing mocktail.
Fresh is best for juicing since frozen watermelon gets watery once it thaws. If you want a frozen, blended version instead, I have a whole recipe for that in my frozen watermelon margaritas.
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Watermelon Margarita
Equipment
- Blender to make the juice
- Fine Mesh Strainer for the juice
Ingredients
- 3-4 oz fresh watermelon juice*
- 2 oz reposado tequila
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz agave nectar
Instructions
- A pound of watermelon chunks will give you about 16 oz. of watermelon juice. Use as much as you need and store the rest in a glass jar with a lid, in the refrigerator. Use within 4-5 days.
To Make Watermelon Juice:
- Cut watermelon into cubes and make sure to cut the rind off. Weight out slightly over a pound of watermelon chunks.
- Place watermelon chunks into the blender and puree until completely smooth, no little chunks remain.
- Strain the watermelon puree through a fine mesh strainer. (Stir the puree in the strainer with a spoon if it needs more help straining.) At this point, you can make the cocktails right away or store the watermelon juice in the refrigerator for later.
Watermelon Margarita:
- Optional: Rub a rim of the glass with a lime wedge to get some juice onto it and dip it into the salt. Set aside. (You can also make a sugar rim the same way if you wish.)
- Add some ice to the cocktail shaker and add reposado tequila, Cointreau, watermelon juice, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar.
- Close the shaker and vigorously shake for about 20 seconds.
- Add some ice to the glass, carefully so not to knock off the salt off the rim. Pour in the margarita into the glass through the strainer.OR, you can use the "dirty ice" that you used to shake the cocktail in the shaker, instead of pouring the cocktail over fresh ice.
Video
Notes
- Storing Watermelon Juice: When storing watermelon juice in the fridge, I recommend using a glass jar with a lid that’s not made of metal. Metal tends to react badly when stored with foods that have acidic elements. When properly stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, watermelon juice will last 5-7 days. Want to keep it fresh for even longer? Freeze it!
- Freezing Watermelon Juice: Simply pour the watermelon juice into a freezer safe zip-top bag. Date and label it, then pop it in the freezer where it will last for up to 4 months. If you prefer, you can portion it into smaller batches, that way you can reach for it when you want to make individual cocktails instead of a whole batch.
Nutrition
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Sounds delicious!! Can you make a pitcher of this ahead of time and store in the fridge for a bbq?
You can but I would do it in the morning because fresh watermelon juice doesn’t have a long shelf life.
Wow! This is so good! The perfect drink to have by the pool!
Thank you, Jill!