Mother’s Day brunch is a special occasion even at home, so why not celebrate your mom with something more exciting than the bottle of wine on your shelf? This Smoky Watermelon Lemon Margarita from Half Baked Harvest is the perfect marriage of sweet and spicy — and it’s pretty to look at, too. But with bold flavors of mezcal, mint, and jalapeño mixed in with juicy watermelon, no one at brunch will be looking at it for long.
Smoky Watermelon Lemon Margarita
A refreshing blend of watermelon, lemon, jalapeño, mint, and mezcal
Ingredients
Drink:
2-3 cups cubed watermelon
2 ounces mezcal (or silver tequila)
½ ounce Cointreau
Juice from ½ lemon
4 fresh mint leaves, torn
1-2 jalapeño slices
¼ cup sparkling water, for topping
Chili lemon salt:
¼ cup flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 pinch granulated sugar
Zest from 1 lemon
Directions
Prep time/total time: 10 minutes. Makes 1 serving.
To make the watermelon juice, blend 2 cups cubed watermelon in a blender, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Store in the fridge for up to five days. To make the chili lemon salt, combine all the ingredients on a shallow plate, then rim your glass in salt. In a cocktail shaker or glass jar, add ¼ cup watermelon juice, mezcal, Cointreau, lemon juice, mint, and jalapeño slices. Fill with ice and shake until combined — the longer you shake, the spicier it will be. Strain into your prepared glass. Top with sparkling water. Garnish as desired with a watermelon wedge and fresh mint. Voila!