Smoked Sandía Recipe

Make purée

Place 2 cups of cubed seedless watermelon, 0.5 oz agave nectar, and 0.5 oz fresh lime juice in a blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 20–30 seconds.

Strain (optional)

If you prefer a very smooth cocktail, strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract juices. Yield should be about 4–6 oz of liquid. Chill until ready to use.

Prepare a rocks or coupe glass. On a small plate combine a pinch (~0.25 tsp) smoked salt with a little grated lime zest if desired. Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and dip the rim into the smoked salt to coat. Fill the glass with fresh ice if serving on the rocks; if serving up, chill glass and do not add ice.

If you want an extra smoky aroma, briefly light a small sprig of rosemary or a small piece of mesquite wood and capture the smoke in the glass, or reserve 0.25 oz mezcal to float/spritz at the end.

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz Mil Diablos mezcal, 0.75 oz Jalisco orange liqueur, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, and 1.0 oz of the prepared watermelon-agave purée. If your watermelon purée is not very sweet, add 0.25 oz agave syrup.

Add a generous amount of ice (about 6 large cubes) to the shaker. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is well chilled and slightly frosted.

If serving up (no ice), double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine-mesh sieve to remove pulp and small ice shards. If serving on the rocks, strain over fresh ice in the prepared rocks glass.

Optional: float 0.25 oz mezcal on top for extra smoky aroma — pour gently over the back of a bar spoon to create a thin float.

Garnish with a thin watermelon slice and a lime wheel on the rim. Serve immediately.