Spicy Watermelon Margarita

My favourite way to do a margie: spicy, fresh and tropical, over ice with a hot and salty rim. Perfect for when the sun is shining this summer. It sits nicely alongside my Coconut Kingfish Tostadas.

Ingredients

120ml blanco tequila
75ml fresh lime juice
30ml jalapeño agave syrup
200ml fresh watermelon juice
Lime wedges, to rim the glasses
Tajín salt, to rim the glasses
2 thin watermelon half-moons, to garnish

Method

Chill two glasses in the freezer, or fill them with ice.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the tequila, lime juice, jalapeño agave syrup and watermelon juice, and shake until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
Rub the rim of each glass with a lime wedge and dip it into a shallow bowl of the Tajín salt.
Add ice to the glasses, pour in the margie and garnish with a thin slice of watermelon. Enjoy.

Notes

Jalapeño agave syrup: put 250ml agave syrup in a small saucepan with 3 jalapeños, thinly sliced (add more or less, depending on your love for heat). Heat slowly over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, then leave to steep for a further 5 minutes. Strain and cool before using. It makes more than you need for these drinks, but keeps happily in the fridge for your next margie session.

Watermelon juice: blend watermelon until smooth, then pour it through a fine sieve into a jug to remove the pulp. Refrigerate until needed.

Tajín salt: mix 1 tbs Tajín with 3 tbs salt in a shallow bowl. It keeps for future margies. You’ll find Tajín at most larger supermarkets and Latin American grocers.