How amazing does a Spicy Watermelon Mezcal Cocktail Recipe sound right now?
Watermelon screams summer and sunlight and lazy days by the pool, but watermelon actually has its place any time of year, even at a Los Angeles Christmas cocktail party. Here in Southern California, and I’m sure in many other places (like, say, Mexico), we have a tradition of eating tamales on Christmas. And what would go better with a tamale at a holiday party than a sweet, smoky, spicy cocktail of watermelon juice and mezcal? So basically you can’t go wrong this delicious concoction any time of year.
The addition of refreshing muddled cilantro balances out the heat from the chilis, making this a drink that bites at the lips while going down easy, more like a light agua fresca. The added bonus? Brightening your glass with cheery red and green Christmas colors! This recipe will spice up any holiday gathering by warming your heart as well as your mouth. Watermelon juice is the perfect addition because it has all the flavor of watermelon, but it’s not too sweet; it reminds me of a homemade watermelon agua fresca. Get my Spicy Watermelon Mezcal Cocktail Recipe after the jump…
Spicy Watermelon Mezcal Cocktail Recipe
Makes 2 cocktails
Ingredients
2 oz mezcal
1 oz fresh lime juice (juice from about 3/4 of a lime)
2 oz Tropicana Watermelon juice
1/2 oz agave nectar
20 cilantro leaves
1 fresno chili
Directions
Muddle mezcal, lime juice, watermelon juice, agave, cilantro leaves, and about 1/4 of a fresno chili in a cocktail shaker
Add ice and shake shake shake
Strain into two glasses filled with ice
Garnish with cilantro, 2 sliced chili rings per glass, and a hunk (the stem end is prettiest) of a fresno chili (seeds removed)
Spicy Watermelon Mezcal Cocktail Recipe
Watermelon screams summer and sunlight and lazy days by the pool, but watermelon actually has its place any time of year, even at a Los Angeles Christmas cocktail party. Here in Southern California, and I’m sure in many other places (like, say, Mexico), we have a tradition of eating tamales on Christmas. And what would go better with a tamale at a holiday party than a sweet, smoky, spicy cocktail of watermelon juice and mezcal? So basically you can’t go wrong this delicious concoction any time of year.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 oz 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
2 oz mezcal
1 oz fresh lime juice (juice from about 3/4 of a lime)
2 oz Tropicana Watermelon juice
1/2 oz agave nectar
20 cilantro leaves
1 fresno chili
Instructions
Muddle mezcal, lime juice, watermelon juice, agave, cilantro leaves, and about 1/4 of a fresno chili in a cocktail shaker
Add ice and shake shake shake
Strain into two glasses filled with ice
Garnish with cilantro, 2 sliced chili rings per glass, and a hunk (the stem end is prettiest) of a fresno chili (seeds removed)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 oz
- Calories: 108
- Sugar: 8.3 g
- Sodium: 7 mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 11.2 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: .9 g
- Cholesterol: 0
Cheers!
Need more delicious drink ideas? Here are all of our Cocktail and Mocktail recipes!
Originally published November, 2016, updated May 2020
