Drink This Now: Melon Margarita, a limited-edition cocktail, at 715 in Lawrence

Every day at Lawrence’s 715 restaurant, the bar debuts a limited-edition daily cocktail. A recent jaunt across the state line revealed such a pleasant invention that we couldn’t suppress our desire to tell you about it. Introducing: 715’s melon margarita. 

The daily menu described the ingredients as Camarena tequila, Vida mezcal, Cointreau, watermelon, cucumber, lime and agave. Nothing about that list sounded wrong, and I promptly ordered the Tuesday-night special. Katrina Weiss, 715’s head bartender and recipe maven, wasn’t on-site, but bartender Jess Singer gave me some background. 

“We had to use a special juicer for the cucumber and the watermelon,” Singer said. “It’s nice that there’s the mezcal and the regular Camarena tequila, I think. The sweetness of the melon really balances out the mezcal. In my experience, mezcal is one of those things where you’re either on-board or you’re really resistant. This one seems to be an across-the-board crowd-pleaser.”

This cocktail is, indeed, incredibly balanced: There’s just the right amount of sweetness – the melon must have been perfectly ripe – and a hint of cucumber. It’s not a sugary mess, and the mezcal plays interestingly with the flavors. The smoky, peaty pull of the Vida is subdued somewhat by the other elements. This is a divine interpretation of the classic margarita, friends. You want a sophisticated patio pounder? Here it is. 

“I honestly haven’t seen the exact recipe, but I do know there’s a little bit of lime juice and Cointreau, so it’s the same backbone as a margarita,” Singer says. “And then there’s three-quarters each of the mezcal and the tequila. There’s not too much agave because the melon is so sweet already.” 

Singer tells me that this drink isn’t on the permanent menu, but the bar has enough of the watermelon and cucumber juices to make it available for a few more days. Don’t waste today’s happy hour. 

See also:
Bartender’s Notebook: Behind the bar at 715, Katrina Weiss holds nothing back
Drink This Now: Maibowle at Affäre
Drink This Now: The Pirate’s Booty at Local Pig – Westport 
Drink This Now: Blood Orange Ginger Fizz at Thou Mayest