I know you want this, so don't be too cool.

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Let's start with a Watermelon Margarita. It's obvious that you want one, so let's get started there. In August—and a damn hot one at that—it's time for a Watermelon Margarita, so I think it's safe to assume that unless you live in Melbourne, it's before 10am and/or you're a child, you want one.

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There's no better warm-weather ensemble than a Watermelon Margarita, which could headline Lollapalooza as far as dynamite ensembles go. Even though there are technically refreshing drinks like the Mojito or Eastside Rickey that use mint as a cooling agent, nothing is so summery and indulgent as the combination of tequila, lime, watermelon, and ice. By adding the juicy touch of sweetness from a ripe watermelon, tequila is already calmed by its raw vegetable bite, but it becomes transportive: You suddenly find yourself barefoot on the grass, chip bowls on red gingham tablecloths, distant splashes and screams from children swimming.

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Watermelons, along with their autumnal cousins, the noble pumpkin), are some of the few pieces of produce that remain almost aggressively seasonal in an increasingly globalized world, where you can buy tomatoes in December, pomegranates in June, and eleven different kinds of apples every day. In the winter, you could probably get watermelon, but what would you do with it?

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91 percent water isn't even food, so you don't eat watermelon because you're supposed to. You eat it because it feels right, a guiltless indulgence, summer's essence manifested. Watermelon is one of the world's greatest luxuries, according to Mark Twain in Pudd'nhead Wilson.

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The juice is also very easy to work with in cocktails, which is a blessing. The majority of recipes call for just adding watermelon juice to an already balanced cocktail, which totally works, but you can think of a few ways to make watermelon cocktails, depending on what you want to do. For each version, I recommend using blanco tequila to make a brightest Margarita, but I've broken down the recipe three ways to help you find your perfect version.

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#1: Margarita with Watermelon Juice

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• 2 oz. tequila
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 0.25 to 0.5 oz. agave nectar, to taste
• 1 oz. watermelon juice

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Adding all three ingredients to a cocktail shaker, shaking it on ice for 6 to 10 seconds before straining it into a rocks glass, and garnished with a lime wheel or a watermelon slice, or both, is the normal procedure for all three recipes.

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Just take the Margarita and add watermelon juice to it. This is the easiest and most straightforward way to add watermelon to your Margarita. Watermelon can be blended without a juicer, then strained. It's clean and easy to make, and the drink is very fruity and refreshing.

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As a downside, it can also thicken it up a little and add a little sweetness. Drinking a Margarita usually feels pretty snappy: your standard Margarita contains 15 to 18 percent alcohol once you’re done shaking it. Watermelon juice drops the alcohol content down to 11 to 12 percent, still stronger than beer, but with a noticeable reduction. If you prefer something a little less robust and more accessible, this method is ideal. There are other ways to prepare strength cocktails if you prefer the traditional method.

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#2: Margarita with Watermelon Syrup

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• 2 oz. tequila
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 0.75 oz. watermelon syrup

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If you'd like the watermelon flavor but it's a little punchier, you can make the juice into a syrup by combining it with an equal amount of sugar, then stirring until the sugar dissolves. In any cocktail that calls for simple syrup, you can use this watermelon syrup. It keeps the cocktail lean and tight without adding excessive liquid or sweetness. Watermelon Syrup can be kept for about a week in the refrigerator. The shelf life of the syrup can be extended by turning it into a syrup, but you should keep it cool. The smell will tell you when it is about to go bad.

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#3: Margarita with Watermelon-Infused Tequila

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• 2 oz. watermelon-infused tequila
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 0.5 oz. agave nectar

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The best cucumber water in a hotel lobby is cucumber water. Though watermelons are mostly water, infusions still work: Cut up the watermelon into small cubes and mix with the tequila in a covered jar. Let the tequila and watermelon sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then strain out the solids. It will have a ratio of about two parts tequila to one part watermelon.

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In this way, you can make Watermelon Margaritas that look like regular margaritas, just with a fruity vibrancy at their core, since the tequila takes up much of the flavor but not much of the color. This trick can be used to make stirred cocktails, such as Watermelon Negronis or Watermelon Sazeracs, which is an entirely new level of enjoyment.