Looking for a fresh new summery take on the margarita? This Watermelon Basil Margarita combines all your favorite summer flavors for a perfectly sweet, totally refreshing sip!
Sweet watermelon and herbaceous basil is an incredible combo on its own, but add a little sweetener and tequila and you’ve got summer in a glass! Plus, this specialty margarita is simple to make.
As an environmental scientist, I am always looking for fun ways to integrate seasonal ingredients. And nothing screams summer more than watermelon and basil!
Green tip: Eating seasonally is one of the best (and most delicious) ways to support local and improve your carbon footprint. Local foods have less associated transportation costs and fuel emissions. Check when watermelon is in season in your area with this Seasonal Food Guide.
Watermelon Basil Margarita Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Watermelon. Fresh watermelon is so naturally juicy, it’s easy to get tons of flavor from just a few slices!
- Basil. Muddling the basil will help extract the most oils and juices out of it, infusing your drink.
- Lime. You should be able to get enough lime juice out of just one-half of a lime.
- Agave nectar. Or any other sweetener, really. Agave is very complementary to tequila and gives you a more classic margarita taste.
- Tequila. Tequila blanco is the best type of tequila to use in this marg!
Watermelon Basil Margarita Tips and Tricks
Salting Your Rim
This part is optional, but if you want the ultimate margarita experience, it’s highly recommended! It’s simple to do. Just wet the rim of your glass with a lime and then dip it into salt.
You can put the salt on a plate, in a shallow bowl, or easiest of all—use a cocktail rimmer. I used pink Himalayan salt here, and it’s such a great contrast to the sweet margarita.
Muddle Up a Puddle
The best way to infuse all the flavor from the watermelon and basil is to muddle them together for about 30 seconds. You really want most of the juice to be extracted from the watermelon!
Make sure to get that basil muddled, too! Muddling the basil releases flavor from the herbs.
Tested Substitutions
Watermelon mixes best with clear alcohol like vodka, gin, white rum, and Blanco tequila.
This recipe calls for 2 ounces of Blanco tequila. It’s my preference just because it tends to be a tad more citrus-y, which plays well with the fresh lime. That being said, if you prefer reposado, that absolutely plays well with these ingredients, too!
I love using agave in margaritas because it is such a great tequila accompaniment! However, you can use any sweetener in place of it here. Use simple syrup, honey, or even molasses in the same amount in its place.
Why You Should Make This Watermelon Basil Margarita
- It’s summery! Seasonal watermelon and basil make this taste like summer in a glass!
- It’s refreshing! Fresh fruit and herbs make for a super fresh sip
- It’s strong. Tequila. ‘nough said.
Loving this Watermelon Basil Margarita and want more Watermelon-infused drinks? Check out this Watermelon Sangria! And for another vibrant and unique marg, check out this Aperol Margarita.
Summery Watermelon Basil Margarita
Print Save RateEquipment
- Cocktail Rimmer (optional)
- Cocktail Shaker (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt for rim (optional)
- ½ cup watermelon, roughly chopped
- 5 leaves fresh basil
- ½ ounce lime juice (½ oz usually = juice of ½ lime)
- ½ ounce agave nectar or simple syrup (½ oz = 1 tbsp)
- 2 ounces tequila blanco (2 oz = 4 tbsp)
Instructions
- Wet the rim of your cocktail glass by rubbing half of a lime on the rim in a circular motion a couple of times around. Add salt to a shallow bowl, plate, or cocktail rimmer and dip the wet rim into the salt. This step is optional, but highly recommended!
- Roughly chop a wedge of watermelon until you have about 1/2 cup of watermelon. Add it to a cocktail shaker or mixing glass with the fresh basil. Muddle until most of the juice is released from your watermelon chunks.
- Add lime juice, sweetener, and tequila and mix. Pour through a strainer into your salt-rimmed glass and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Using fresh lime goes a long way in this recipe!
- I love Blanco Tequila in this recipe, but if you prefer Repasado, that totally works, too!
- If you enjoyed this recipe, you gotta check out the full collection of my best margarita recipes!
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