What’s orange and spicy and perfect for tailgating? Serrano cantaloupe margaritas!

These fruity drinks pack a punch of spice thanks to a red serrano pepper, and a bit of sweetness thanks to cantaloupe from Gundermann Acres farm. I served them in mason jars at our last gameday party, and rimmed the glasses with a mix of sea salt and chile powder.

If you need a kid-friendly drink, skip the serrano pepper in the recipe below and substitute ginger ale for the tequila. Rim kids’ glasses with turbinado sugar, if desired.

Spicy Cantaloupe Margaritas (serves 6)

1 medium cantaloupe, peeled and cubed (7-8 cups of cubed fruit)
1 red serrano pepper
1 cup tequila
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Garnish:
Lime wedges
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/2 tablespoon chile powder

Cut the stem off of the pepper. Combine pepper, cantaloupe, tequila, lime juice and sugar in a blender and process on high for about a minute, until mixture is smooth and no large pieces of pepper remain. Strain mixture through a sieve into a pitcher and let it rest for several minutes while you  rim the glasses.

To rim margarita glasses: mix the salt and chile powder together and put the mixture in an even layer on a small plate. Rub a lime wedge along the edge of the margarita glass, then swirl the moistened edge of the glass in the salt mixture to coat it.

Fill the prepared glasses with ice and gently pour in the cantaloupe margarita mixture. Serve immediately.

With a little help from the freezer and some mason jars, these margaritas can be made several days in advance of a party. Once you’ve blended the ingredients, pour the drinks into freezer-safe mason jars instead of glasses. Leave a half-inch of headspace at the top of each jar, screw on the lids, and store them in the freezer until ready to serve. During the party you’ll have enough time to garnish the rim of each jar with salt before the margarita inside is slushy enough to drink. (Thanks to fellow Local Box blogger Megan for this great trick!)