Last Sips of Summer: The Neon Rita

Happy Labor Day, Everyone! Some say this is the unofficial start to fall, but we at Mirror80 say there’s still lots more summer to be enjoyed! We don’t know about you, but in our part of the world, the weather is still warm, and it never hurts to hold onto the summer state of mind. That’s why we launched our Last Sips of Summer series! Did you catch our first two recipes: The Mint Flamingo and The Ginger Twist? Now that we’ve gotten a dessert cocktail and a citrusy mocktail under our belt, we thought we’d enjoy one last sip: a watermelon-grapefruit margarita with a spicy kick! Read on for all the details…

This refreshing drink is just as fruity as it is boozy. In fact, it gets its radiant color from fresh watermelon juice. Enjoy a refill or share it with a friend–the recipe will give you 2 servings.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• 2 cups chopped watermelon
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 limes
• 1/3 cup tequila
• 1/8 cup triple sec
• chili powder
• salt

Directions:

1. Slice a section of a watermelon into small squares. Two cups of chopped watermelon is the perfect amount for this drink.
2. Puree the watermelon in a blender, and then pour it through a fine mesh strainer. We used a spoon to help press the pulpy juice through the strainer, and we poured the mixture into a large glass measuring cup so it would be easy to re-pour. Two cups of chopped watermelon should get you about one cup of strained watermelon juice.
3. Add the juice of one grapefruit and one lime to the mixture. We didn’t have a grapefruit juicer, so we cut the grapefruit into smaller sections and used a basic lemon squeezer to extract the juice. We were able to get about 3/4 cup from the combined juice of the grapefruit and the lime.
4. Pour the fruit juice mixture into a pitcher and add the tequila and the triple sec.
5. Taste the mixture. As mentioned, we like our mixed drinks on the fruity side. If you desire more alcohol, simply add it to the mix in small doses until you get just the right combination. Since the watermelon juice is so sweet, you don’t need simple syrup for this margarita–one less step!!!
6. Chill the margarita mixture in the fridge.
7. On a plate, pour a mix of chili powder and salt. Wet the rim of your margarita glasses and press into the chili-salt mixture.
8. Pour and serve your margaritas! Serve on the rocks if you desire. Garnish with lime slices, and add a hearty splash of lime for additional flavoring. This last step really takes the drink up a notch. Enjoy!

We hope our Last Sips of Summer series has really helped you savor these final days of the warmest season. Mirror80 has some amazing posts planned for fall. But until then…the final moments of summer are ours for the taking!