The Story Behind The Watermelon & Basil Margarita
After the 4th of July celebrations earlier in the week we thought it would be best to create something “healthy” and refreshing to help our bodies recover. The cocktail today concentrates on the flavors of fresh fruit to trick your body into forgetting about the awesome booziness inside. The watermelon is so refreshing; it also pairs extremely well with the tequila, while not completely overpowering the delicious earthy tones found in the Añejo we used.
Keeping with the tequila base we opted for basil simple syrup as a sweetener, which adds additional earthy flavors and accentuates the Añejo further. To make sure the cocktail didn't turn out too sweet we also included an ounce of lime juice. The watermelon was cut up and blended, then fine-strained before we added it to the shaker with the lime juice, basil simple syrup and tequila. Once the ingredients were shaken to dilute and chill, we poured the drink into a salt-rimmed glass and garnished it with a sprig of basil.
The Best Margarita Ingredients:
- Need the right tequila? See our picks for the best tequilas for Margaritas!
- Need the right liqueur? See our picks for the best triple secs and orange liqueurs for Margaritas!
- Short on time? See our picks for the best Margarita mixes!
Read on for the Watermelon & Basil Margarita Recipe!
Basil Simple Syrup Recipe Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
Basil Simple Syrup Recipe Directions
- Combine sugar, water, and basil in a sauce pan
- Heat mixture until sugar is dissolved
- Cool mixture then strain into a jar, cover and refrigerate up to two weeks.
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