Watermelon is so refreshing when it's hot, but making margaritas out of it (enough for a crowd!) changes the drink entirely. Watermelon adds fruity sweetness and gives you another excuse for buying an entire watermelon.

Photography Credit: Leela Cyd Ross

When it comes to cocktails, the situation dictates the drink. If you’re having a swanky steak dinner, then that’s a martini sort of meal.

Headed to a picnic and Shakespeare in the Park? That begs for the boozy Pomegranate Paloma, swigged from a flask. (Assuming you’re seeing a comedy. If it’s a tragedy, go with something bitter, such as a Dark and Stormy.)

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But if the weather is sporting triple digits and I’m floating on a raft in the pool, then it’s time to go for something juicier and far more thirst quenching. Enter the watermelon margarita.

For the most part, this is a classic margarita with a skosh more tequila and a lot of fresh watermelon. The resulting cocktail is fruiter than the original and its strength will sneak up on you, but in this case I’ll call that a good thing.

Want to know the best tequila to buy? Check out our Tequila Guide!

This is also a margarita that I encourage you to have with salt, even if you normally don’t care for it. It adds a necessary bit of balance to all the sweetness.

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