This drink has everything going for it. Good looks, refreshing taste and an herbal kick that comes from its unusual rim. Recipe by Ray Mark Rinaldi. Makes 1 blenderful.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh watermelon juice (It’s easy; see below)
Tarragon salt (even easier; see below)
2 ounces tequila blanca
1 ounce orange liqueur (Patron Citronge is excellent)
2 tablespoons simple syrup (see recipe for French 75, below)
1 lime
3 cups crushed ice
Directions
For the watermelon juice: Chop a watermelon into chunks, cutting off the rind. Toss into a blender until pureed. A 5-pound melon should yield about 1 quart of juice.
For the tarragon salt: Muddle together 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves and 2 teaspoons salt. Use a mortar and pestle if you have one, rather than a food processor; the mixture comes together better.
Place the watermelon juice, tequila, orange liqueur and simple syrup into a blender. Squeeze the lime over the top of it, saving the rind to run over the edge of a glass when rimming. Add the ice and blend until the liquid is slushy smooth.
Rim a medium-sized glass with the tarragon salt. Pour in the margarita. Garnish with a lime, melon ball or something unique, like a lychee nut. (Make it virgin: Replace the tequila and orange liqueur with pineapple juice.)
