The Perfect Picnic Drink Is a Refreshing Tequila-Watermelon Cooler

Picnics call for refreshing, unfussy long drinks—Arnold Palmers, mojitos—drinks that don’t take too much prep and provide ample hydration. But moreover, ones that hold up well to transport and long, languorous days in the sun. The Sandia Fairy, something of an elevated watermelon margarita, exceeds on both counts. It will also pique the curiosity of any cocktail nerds in your group with an unexpected combination of flavors.

“I like mixing the pepper and soil flavors of the tequila with the sweet, herbal taste of absinthe,” says Victor Lopez, an agave-spirit enthusiast and longtime bartender at PDT (Please Don’t Tell), the famous neo-speakeasy in New York’s East Village. And for the base, the most iconic of summer fruits: watermelon.