Review: On the Rocks Cocktails – Sparkling Watermelon Margarita and Passion Fruit Margarita

Two new offerings from the ever-busy folks at On The Rocks, whose bottled cocktails run the gamut from simple to pretty far out-there. This pair of releases leans more toward the latter, though both seem designed for mass consumption.

Curious? Let’s give them both a try.

On the Rocks Sparkling Watermelon Margarita Review

Oof, watermelon Jolly Ranchers are the dominant flavor in this concoction, which would probably come across better if it wasn’t sparkling, its tepid fizz doing little to perk up its candylike fruit notes and slightly off agave character. The greenness of a somewhat immature tequila builds as the palate develops (particularly if you let it warm up a bit), but it’s most pronounced on the finish, which pours on an industrial quality. 20 proof. D+ / $13 per four-pack of 12 oz cans

On the Rocks Passion Fruit Margarita Review

Bright orange and hyper-sweetened, it’s a good thing I love passion fruit, but even here it comes across as a touch overbearing and perhaps too saccharine. Hornitos tequila is called on the label, but there’s no real sense of tequila that comes through on the palate, which is more floral than herbal in the end. The fruit becomes more citrusy in the end — this is a margarita, after all — leaning toward orange and tangerine as the passion fruit loses some of its distinctly tropical qualities. A splash of saline precedes a rush of more straightforward pineapple on the finish. It’s not exactly a craft cocktail experience, but I’d drink this in a pinch. B / $14 per 375ml bottle

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