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30 Minutes or Less

Mom’s Watermelon Paloma

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watermelon paloma in a glass with a lime slice and a small slice of watermelon.

A few weeks ago, my mom had her first watermelon paloma while out to lunch, and she was hooked! She even texted me about it, and almost immediately got to working on recreating it. I feel like now’s a good time to mention, especially if you’re new around here, that my Mom is the cocktail queen! Last year she shared her BEST-ever daiquiri recipe with us, and she makes a mean aperol spritz. And guess what? Her version turned out even better than the one she had a brunch!

It’s a refreshing blend of watermelon and tequila, finished off with fizzy grapefruit soda. But not just any grapefruit soda, Mom tested a few and found her favorite, which I outline in the ingredients below! This watermelon paloma is a must, especially as the warm weather lingers. It’s perfect for sipping with brunch, or at your next summer party. I’ll surely be cheers-ing to the last days of summer with this refreshing cocktail in hand!

overhead image of watermelon paloma with fresh mint for garnish.

What Makes this the BEST Watermelon Paloma

This Watermelon Paloma stands out because it perfectly balances sweet, tangy, and refreshing flavors. The use of fresh watermelon juice brings a vibrant, natural sweetness, while the lime juice adds a necessary tartness. Tequila is the perfect base, and the Fever Tree grapefruit soda takes it over the top! The salted rim is the final touch, and my favorite part, but feel free to leave it out if that’s not your thing. Mom actually doesn’t include a salted rim in her original recipe, she prefers no salt.

What You’ll Need to Make It

  • Fresh Watermelon Juice: The star of the show! Use ripe, juicy watermelon for the best flavor. You can find watermelon juice at some grocery stores, like Trader Joe’s!
  • Fresh Lime Juice: Adds a tangy kick, and is signature to a classic paloma recipe. Mom always recommends using fresh limes rather than bottled juice for maximum flavor.
  • Simple Syrup: Easily made at home by dissolving equal parts sugar and water. You can also purchase it from most grocery stores, or use agave instead!
  • Tequila: The quality of your tequila matters. Opt for a good silver tequila, like Patron Silver or Casamigos Blanco, for a smooth finish.
  • Fever Tree Grapefruit Soda: This soda is light, fizzy, and not too sweet, making it a perfect addition to the cocktail. You can find it at specialty grocery stores, most liquor stores, or online. However, if you can’t find Fever Tree grapefruit soda, feel free to use whatever grapefruit soda you can get your hands on.

How to Make Fresh Watermelon Juice

Making fresh watermelon juice is simple. Cut your watermelon into chunks, removing the seeds. Then, blend the chunks until smooth. Strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulp, and you’re ready to go! Fresh watermelon juice can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.

watermelon paloma in a glass with a lime slice and watermelon slice.

How to Make It

  1. Prepare the Glass: Rub a lime wedge around the rim of your glass. Dip the rim in salt, then fill the glass with ice.
  2. Mix the Cocktail: In a cocktail shaker, combine the watermelon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and tequila. Add ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to a minute until the drink is well chilled.
  3. Pour and Serve: Pour the mixture into your prepared glass, then top it off with Fever Tree grapefruit soda. Garnish with a lime wedge or a small watermelon slice.

Switch Up the Flavor

  • Use Vodka Instead of Tequila: If you’re not a tequila fan, swap it out for vodka for a lighter, less intense flavor.
  • Experiment with Other Juices: While watermelon is Mom’s favorite (mine too!), you can try other fresh fruit juices like pineapple, strawberry, or peach for a different twist.
  • Make it a Mocktail: Simply leave out the tequila for a light and refreshing non-alcoholic watermelon paloma mocktail!

By following these tips and using high-quality ingredients, you’ll create the perfect watermelon paloma that everyone will love. Don’t forget to share your creations and tag me on Instagram—I can’t wait to see how you enjoy this drink!

Mom's Watermelon Paloma
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Mom’s Watermelon Paloma

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

0

minutes

This easy watermelon paloma recipe was developed by none other than my Mom! Consider her our resident bartender, and the only person I trust to make a really REALLY good drink. With fresh watermelon juice, a splash of lime, and a fizzy finish, this watermelon paloma will become your go-to summer cocktail!

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces watermelon juice

  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice

  • 1 ounce simple syrup, or agave

  • 2 ounces tequila

  • 2-3 ounces grapefruit soda (Mom recommends Fever Tree grapefruit soda)

Directions

  • Rub a lime wedge around the edge of a glass, then dip the rim of the glass in salt and fill the glass with ice.
  • Add the watermelon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and tequila to a cocktail shaker with ice. Secure the shaker with a lid, then shake for 30 seconds to a minute, or until the drink is very cold.
  • Pop the lid off the shaker and pour the drink into your prepared glass. Then, fill the glass the rest of the way with grapefruit soda.

Recipe Video

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Drinks

4-Ingredient Pineapple Margarita

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Pineapple margarita in a glass with a pineapple slice on the side.

There are few things as good as an ice cold pineapple margarita! Shake up one of these fruity, but not-too-sweet drinks with just 4 ingredients. Best enjoyed on a hot summer day or at your next party!

pineapple margarita in a glass with lime wedges on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make a Pineapple Margarita

Tequila – Good quality tequila goes a long way in a homemade margarita! I love a good “middle shelf” tequila – not the cheapest but also NOT the most expensive. Casamigos and Espolon are my two current favorites, and taste delicious in this recipe!

Pineapple Juice – Either fresh or canned pineapple juice will work! I used canned pineapple juice because it’s easier. But if you really want to get crafty with these cocktails, make your own pineapple juice instead.

Lime Juice – Unlike the pineapple juice, fresh lime juice is best. I can almost always tell the difference between fresh and bottled lime juice. Fresh lime juice can turn a good cocktail into an incredible cocktail!

Triple Sec – Want to make this a skinny pineapple margarita? Replace the triple sec with orange juice. Triple sec has more sugar, which sweetens up this drink. Though if you don’t mind it a little less sweet, opt for the lower-calorie orange juice option instead.

Overhead image of pineapple margarita in a glass with pineapple and lime on top.

Tips and Tricks

  • Shake up these pineapple margaritas for your next themed party (cinco de mayo, perhaps?!). Simply juice the limes ahead of time, and have all ingredients set out. Then, add to a cocktail shaker and serve when guests arrive.
  • I like lining the rim of my margarita glass with a combo of sugar and salt. However, you can totally skip that first step of the recipe if that’s not your thing.
  • Make it a frozen margarita! To do this, add all margarita ingredients to a blender with a small handful of ice. Then, blend until slushy and enjoy immediately – extra refreshing!

Make a Pineapple Margarita Pitcher

For a whole pitcher of pineapple margaritas, use the measurements below:

  • 2 cups pineapple juice
  • 2 cups tequila
  • 1 cup triple sec (or orange juice)
  • 1 cup lime juice
4-Ingredient Pineapple Margarita
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4-Ingredient Pineapple Margarita

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

serving
Prep time

3

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

3

minutes

There are few things as good as an ice cold pineapple margarita! Shake up one of these fruity, but not-too-sweet drinks with just 4 ingredients. Best enjoyed on a hot summer day or at your next party!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • lime wedge

  • For the margarita:

  • 2 ounces tequila

  • 2 ounces pineapple juice

  • 1 ounce lime juice

  • 1 ounce triple sec (or orange juice to make it a skinny margarita)

Directions

  • Mix sugar and salt together on a small plate. Run lime wedge around the rim of your glass, then dip rim into sugar and salt mixture. Fill the glass with ice.
  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add in the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, and triple sec. Secure lid and shake for 30 seconds, then strain into glass and enjoy!

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30 Minutes or Less

Sunset Spritz Mocktail Recipe

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sunset spritz mocktail in a glass with fresh blueberries and pineapple on top.

Light and refreshing sunset spritz mocktail! Fresh blueberries and pineapples, with a hint of lime, and plenty of bubbles. This sunset spritz mocktail is so tasty, you won’t even miss the alcohol!

club soda being poured into a sunset spritz mocktail.

This mocktail is a recreation of one I enjoyed daily on my babymoon. No longer able to order an alcoholic beverage, I worked my way through the pool bar’s cocktail menu for a refreshing drink that’d still taste good without the alcohol. One day, I came across the “sunset spritz” and all ingredients sounded DELICIOUS. So I immediately ordered one …without the vodka. And OMG it was delicious! From there on out, the sunset spritz mocktail became my daily afternoon drink order. While best enjoyed poolside, I took the idea home with me and immediately recreated it. Now I can enjoy a fun, bubbly drink during happy hour (or really any hour!) that’s pregnancy-safe and oh-so good!

close-up image of sunset spritz mocktail with fresh bleuberries and pineapple on top.

What You’ll Need to Make a Sunset Spritz Mocktail

Fresh Blueberries and Pineapple – The fresh fruit in this recipe really puts it over the top! It makes this mocktail recipe feel fancy, without actually requiring a whole lot of effort. And if you don’t have fresh fruit, you can thaw frozen blueberries and pineapples instead for your drink.

Lime Juice – A touch of citrus perfectly balances the sweetness in this drink. The original recipe I enjoyed on my babymoon actually uses fresh lemon juice, but when I tried it at home I thought lime juice tasted just a little bit better. However, if you don’t have/like lime juice, feel free to use lemon instead!

Agave Nectar – I always keep a bottle of agave nectar in my bar cart for cocktail recipes! It’s a natural sweetener, and perfect replacement to simple syrup. I use agave nectar in many of my cocktail recipes, like this skinny strawberry margarita, and my Mom’s famous lime daiquiris!

Club Soda – A little bit of bubbles will make your sunset spritz mocktail taste like an actual cocktail! Put as much or as little club soda in your drink as you’d like. I personally prefer a super light and refreshing mocktail, so I fill my glass all the way to the top with unflavored club soda.

sunset spritz mocktail in a glass with fresh blueberries and pineapple on top.

Add Alcohol

  • Turn this mocktail recipe into a cocktail recipe with the addition of 1 ounce of vodka! I look forward to giving this a try post-pregnancy.
Sunset Spritz Mocktail Recipe
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Sunset Spritz Mocktail Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

drink
Prep time

3

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

3

minutes

Light and refreshing sunset spritz mocktail! Fresh blueberries and pineapples, with a hint of lime, and plenty of bubbles. This sunset spritz mocktail is so tasty, you won’t even miss the alcohol!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh blueberries

  • 4-5 pineapple chunks

  • 1 ounce lime juice

  • 1 ounce agave nectar

  • club soda

Directions

  • Add the fresh blueberries and pineapple chunks to a glass, then muddle until fruit is broken down.
  • Add in lime juice and agave nectar, then stir to combine.
  • Fill glass with ice, then top with club soda.

Recipe Video

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