“Leave well enough alone” might be a rule that could be applied to the margarita, one of the handful of perfect drinks in the standard bartender’s repertoire.
A margarita has sweetness (from Cointreau, sugar and Triple Sec); it has acidity (from lime juice); it has saltiness (from the salt that rims the glass); and it has smokiness from the tequila.
My twist on the margarita involves using watermelon — now that most watermelons are seedless, you don’t have to go through the bother of de-seeding them. The watermelon is muddled in the cocktail shaker, so you end up with a rough puree of watermelon that adds body and texture to the cocktail.
I also like to reinforce the smokiness of the drink by adding chipotle powder to the salt that I use to rim the margarita glass.
This recipe calls for a cup of watermelon, but if you like less watermelon and more of everything else ( especially hard liquor), feel free to reduce the amount you use.
Watermelon Chipotle Margarita recipe
(makes 4 cocktails)
Ingredients
For the margarita:
- 2 limes
- 8 ounces tequila
- 4 ounces Triple Sec
- 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1 cup seedless watermelon, chopped
- Crushed ice
- Chipotle salt (recipe follows)
For the chipotle salt:
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder ( available at Savory Spice)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preparation
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Keep covered at room temperature until ready to use.
To make the Watermelon Margarita:
Chill four martini or coupe glasses.
Halve the limes and, using a reamer, juice the limes and the lime pulp into a cocktail shaker. Add the tequila, Triple Sec, sugar and watermelon to the cocktail shaker and muddle well. Place the Chipotle Salt on a saucer and roll the rims of the glasses in it.
Add the crushed ice to the cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain the margarita mix into the four glasses and serve immediately.
