Salted Watermelon Paloma
This easy, summery cocktail is made with fresh watermelon juice, Florida’s Natural® orange juice, tequila, lime juice, and a splash of sparkling water. It’s gorgeous, refreshing, absolutely delicious, and takes just minutes to whip up!

Hey there! Happy Cocktail Saturday! It’s been a minute since I shared a cocktail post, so I’m thrilled to be back with this summery watermelon paloma—it’s as pretty as it is tasty.

With summer winding down, I’m all about soaking up every last bit of it. That means loading up on tomatoes, corn, zucchini, berries, stone fruits, and of course, watermelon!

Now, here’s the thing—when it comes to watermelon, I’m usually happy eating it straight up. It’s the ultimate summer snack: cooling, sweet, and just so good.

But watermelon also works magic in cocktails, and if you haven’t tried one yet, today’s your day.

Honestly, it might be the easiest and most delicious drink you’ll ever make. No exaggeration.

If you’re new to the paloma, it’s a classic Mexican cocktail with grapefruit juice, silver tequila, lime, and club soda. Super simple, crazy refreshing, and oh-so-tasty! It might even be my favorite cocktail (yes, over margaritas), and here’s why:

First, palomas are usually way less sweet (which means no sugar hangover the next day).

Second, bubbles! Palomas always have that fizzy finish from sparkling water or club soda—and I’m all about a fizzy drink.

This version swaps grapefruit juice for my go-to Florida’s Natural orange juice and adds fresh watermelon juice. Not traditional, but oh-so-good. Florida’s Natural hooked me up with their orange juice for this cocktail, and let me tell you—it did not go to waste! Their juice has no added sugar (just 100% Florida oranges), so it keeps this paloma perfectly balanced.

Here’s how it’s done:

First, you’ll need watermelon juice. Don’t stress—just blend fresh watermelon and strain it through a mesh sieve. Boom, done.

Next, salt the rim of your glass. This step is key. The salty rim with sweet watermelon and tangy citrus? Unbeatable.

Now, for the paloma: Fill a glass with ice, then add your watermelon juice, Florida’s Natural orange juice, your favorite silver tequila, and a squeeze of lime. Give it a quick stir, top it with sparkling water, and make it pretty however you like—I’m a fan of a fresh mint garnish. Then, sip away!

Simple as that.

So, what do you think? It’s mid-August, and we’ve got about a month left of watermelon season. My take? We should be making these palomas every weekend until October because yes, they’re that good. Plus, easy cocktails are always a win.

Enjoy, and have an amazing Saturday—preferably with a salted watermelon paloma in hand!

If you make this Salted Watermelon Paloma, drop a comment or rate the recipe! I love hearing from you and always do my best to reply. And if you make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram—seeing your recreations is my favorite!