Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita

A fresh watermelon margarita with a slow jalapeño heat — sweet, citrusy, and just spicy enough to keep things interesting. Blanco tequila, muddled watermelon, fresh lime, and agave shaken hard and double strained over ice with a chili salt rim. The kind of summer cocktail that looks as good as it tastes.

This cocktail is part of our Date Nite collection, made to be sipped while you cook together.

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INGREDIENTS

2 oz blanco tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz agave syrup
1 cup fresh watermelon, cubed
2–3 thin jalapeño slices, with seeds

Cocktail Method

Rim a rocks glass with chili salt and fill with fresh ice. Set aside.
Add the watermelon cubes to a shaker and muddle until juicy.
Add the jalapeño slices, tequila, lime juice, and agave.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 15–20 seconds.
Double strain into the prepared glass.
Garnish with a jalapeño slice and a lime wedge.

Notes from the Bar

Heads up: We may earn a small commission on products we’ve linked here. We only recommend the real-deal favorites from our kitchen.

HEAT LEVEL

The jalapeño slices go in with seeds — that's where most of the heat lives. For a milder drink, remove the seeds before adding. For more heat, let the jalapeño sit in the shaker for 30–60 seconds before shaking. Taste as you go.

FRESH WATERMELON ONLY

This one needs fresh watermelon, not juice from a carton. Muddle it right in the shaker — about 1 cup of cubed watermelon yields enough juice to make the drink. The fresher the watermelon, the better the color and flavor.

DOUBLE STRAIN

Don't skip the double straining. Pour through both your cocktail strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch all the jalapeño seeds and watermelon pulp. It keeps the texture clean and the color clear and beautiful.

CHILI SALT RIM

We used a chili-lime salt blend — not Tajín, just a spicy salt with a little heat. Look for one at a specialty grocery or mix your own with kosher salt, a pinch of cayenne, and a little lime zest. → Shop our favorite chili salt here

TEQUILA RECOMMENDATION

A clean blanco keeps the watermelon front and center. Espolòn or Olmeca Altos are great everyday choices that won't compete with the fruit.

MAKE IT A BATCH

To serve 6: muddle 6 cups of watermelon, then press through a fine mesh strainer to get clean juice. Combine 12 oz tequila, 6 oz lime juice, 3 oz agave, and the watermelon juice in a pitcher. Add jalapeño slices to the pitcher and let infuse for 15–30 minutes, tasting for heat. Strain out the jalapeño, pour over ice in rimmed glasses, and garnish.

Because every drink deserves a beautiful moment.

A ritual we return to

Our cocktails are part of something bigger for us. They’re the beginning of Date Nite, a connection-centered experience we created to help you slow down, share a meal, and enjoy time with the one you love.

Each Date Nite is thoughtfully planned for you, so you are not stuck deciding what to cook or how to pull the night together. We pair one cocktail with a complete menu, a simple flow from prep to plate, and small details that make the evening feel easy and connected from start to finish.

It is not about perfection. It is about presence, and creating space to reconnect, whether that is with your partner or simply with yourself, over a really good meal.

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