Smoky Watermelon-Mezcal Fresca

This recipe for Smoky Watermelon-Mezcal Fresca, from author Katherine Cobb's book Pantry Cocktails, is one of the most refreshing things you can drink in the summertime. The bright pink drink is easy to whip together in a blender, and it has a few fancy touches that make it memorable. The rim of the glass is coated in a mixture of smoked sea salt and lime crystals (such as True Lime), for a bold smoky-tangy flavor. (You can use regular sea salt and lime zest if you prefer.)

Cobbs says: "Freezing watermelon cubes amps up the chill of this frothy refresher right out of the blender. This drink is a mash-up of a watermelon aqua fresca and a Paloma cocktail that gets its fizz from sweet grapefruit soda—I like to use Squirt or Jarritos. For a less sweet drink, use club soda. To really highlight the smokiness of the mezcal, you might consider grilling ½-inch-thick watermelon wedges over direct high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to develop a nice char. Cool the fruit before cutting it up to freeze."

This recipe makes one cocktail but it's easy to scale it up for a larger crowd if you want to serve it in a pitcher.

Recipe excerpted from Pantry Cocktails, and used with permission from Simon and Schuster