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Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with this sweet and spicy Watermelon Rosè Paloma. Fresh watermelon juice and tequila mixed with lime juice, sweet Rosè wine, and topped off with sparkling water for a bit of a fizzy kick. It’s a touch of sweet, a little bit spicy, and so refreshing too! Perfect for spring and the summer days ahead. Finish this cocktail off with a salty chili limed rimmed glass for a delicious Mexican inspired cocktail. This Paloma is easy to mix up, uses minimal ingredients, and is oh so very good! The perfect to drink to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the warmer days ahead!
Happy springtime Cocktail Saturday! And welcome to (the second day of) May!
Today we have a very fun, very delicious drink in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo this Tuesday! The Paloma is probably my favorite cocktail. It has been ever since I shared this wintery pomegranate ginger Paloma and then this spring strawberry chamomile Paloma. What I love about the Paloma, versus say a margarita, is that it’s much simpler, much less sweet, and always topped off with club soda. Any kind of drink topped with bubbly, fizzy water, is my kind of drink.
With Cinco de Mayo this Tuesday, I knew today was the perfect day to share this fun recipe. I actually thought of the idea a few weeks ago but saved it for today. One, watermelon is only just now starting to show up in grocery stores. So I wanted to be sure that everyone could get their hands on one before I shared the recipe. And two, ahh, well, I just wanted to wait for Cinco de Mayo and some warmer days to enjoy this refreshingly sweet and spicy drink.
Excited to finally share it with you guys!
The details.
This cocktail is simple as can be. First, make some fresh watermelon juice. How do you do this? It is EASY. Blend a whole bunch of cubed watermelon, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Or don’t strain it, and make your cocktail more of a “smoothie” situation. Either way, it works and it’s going to be good.
Once you have the watermelon juice, make that salty-sweet + tangy, Tajin lined rim. It’s simply sea salt, chili powder (a blend of chili powder), and a pinch of granulated sugar mixed together. It adds such a nice salty, sweet, and spicy touch to each drink. You can easily find Tajin at the grocery store, Target, or via Amazon. Of course, if you don’t have any Tajin on hand, you can also just use one teaspoon chili powder.
Once you rim your glasses in the sweet chili salt, make the drink. Just combine that fresh watermelon juice, the tequila, lime juice, and Rosè wine. Add ice, then top the drink off with club soda or sparkling water. If you wanted to add even more flavor, you could swap the sparkling water out and use spicy ginger beer…
I would do this.
If you can’t get your hands on a watermelon, no worries at all. You can simply swap in an equal amount of grapefruit juice.
And for the garnishes, I like to add edible flowers for a pop of color, but use what you have on hand. As I’ve mentioned over and over now, I’ve been ordering my flowers and herbs from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. They’ll last all week and make recipes just a little bit sweeter…and prettier!
That’s it, this drink is SIMPLE. But it’s GOOD.
I mean, watermelon, tequila, AND Rosè wine? Plus sparkling water? And a bonus spicy, salty, sweet, and tangy rimmed glass? Yes, yes, yes, it has all the good things the first Saturday of May requires. My suggestion? Test this out today, then make it again with your Mexican inspired fiesta on Tuesday for Cinco de Mayo.
Here is my Cinco de Mayo menu as of right now:
Kick the night off with this fun Watermelon Rosè Paloma, of course. But while you sip, snack on some homemade queso, and probably some guacamole too.
For dinner, I’m going with baked chipotle chicken taquitos, they’re my go-to. Or maybe I’ll serve up my favorite one skillet chicken tortilla enchilada bake. Either of these…or maybe both, will be so good.
And for dessert? Friday’s dirty horchata tres leches cake.
Who’s in? I’m excited to (hopefully) see everyone recreating this over the weekend! Enjoy!
Lastly, if you make this Watermelon Rosè Paloma, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watermelon Rosè Paloma
Servings: 1
Calories Per Serving: 422 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups cubed watermelon
- 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 3-4 ounces sparkling or regular Rosè wine, chilled
- 1/4 cup sparkling water for topping
Chili Lime Salt
- 1/4 cup flaky sea salt
- 2 teaspoons Tajin or 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 pinch granulated sugar
- zest from 1 lime
Instructions
- 1. To make the watermelon juice, blend 2 cups cubed watermelon in a blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. 2. To make the chili lime salt. Combine all the ingredients on a shallow plate. Rim your glasses in salt.3. To your cocktail glass, add 1/4 cup watermelon juice, the tequila, lime juice, and the Rosè, gently stir to combine. Add ice, then top off with a splash of sparkling water. Garnish as desired with watermelon and thyme. Enjoy!
Notes
If a Sweeter Drink is Desired: stir in 1-2 teaspoons honey or granulated sugar.
Tajin: is a Mexican company that produces several varieties of condiments, consisting predominantly of chile peppers, lime, and salt. You can purchase tajin at most grocery stores or via Amazon.
Watermelon Rosè Paloma Punch
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 228 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed watermelon
- 1 1/2 cups silver tequila
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling or regular Rosè wine, chilled
- 3-4 (12 ounce) cans sparkling waters, for topping
Chili Lime Salt
- 1/4 cup flaky sea salt
- 2 teaspoons Tajin or 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 pinch granulated sugar
- zest from 1 lime
Instructions
- 1. To make the watermelon juice, blend the watermelon in a blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.2. Combine 2 cups watermelon juice, the tequila, lime juice, and Rosè in a large pitcher. Stir to combine and chill for 2 hours or until ready to serve.3. To make the chili lime salt. Combine all the ingredients on a shallow plate. Rim your glasses in salt, then fill with ice.4. When ready to serve, fill the pitcher with ice. Pour into glasses and top off each glass with sparkling water. Garnish as desired with watermelon and thyme (if desired). Enjoy!
Notes
If a Sweeter Drink is Desired: stir in 2-4 tablespoons honey or granulated sugar.
Tajin: is a Mexican company that produces several varieties of condiments, consisting predominantly of chile peppers, lime, and salt. You can purchase tajin at most grocery stores or via Amazon.
Made this today to go with my Stranger Things viewing “party” and cook out. I had Lillet on hand so I substituted that for the Rose’. Such a delicious, refreshing drink! Will 10/10 make again!
Hi Sue,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
What better way to pre-game Father’s Day but with a sparkling paloma! Fresh and sparkly and a little spicy.
For those who don’t have tajin, or want an easy substitute – Trader Joe’s sells a chili lime sprinkle that works perfectly. Run a cut lime over the rim of your glass and twist it into some of the TJ seasoning. Bright with a little bite
Made only one substitution…. used a little sparkling pink brut instead of the sparkling water.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Janis,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan