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The spicy margarita was born out of this craze. There was a lot of creativity happening, with bartenders using whatever ingredients they had on hand to make fiery cocktails. Because Texas borders Mexico, it’s highly tuned to the pleasures of painful cuisine - jalapeños, habaneros, ghost peppers, and other chilis appear in everything from hot wings and burgers to Tex-Mex burritos.Īnd so, by 2014, the Lone Star State had veered toward spicy drinks. The food culture in Texas turned out to be closely tied to this shift in drinking tastes. For instance, in Dallas, Texas, the “Southern Heat” featured a mix of Blanco tequila, cucumber and jalapeño, and Cointreau. After seeing the response to spice in the Bay Area, he started dropping them into menus here and there, rebranding them to mesh with the culture of different cities. The Fire Spreadsīezuidenhout began to travel the USA as part of his consulting job, creating cocktail menus across the country. Next in line was a peach chipotle drink and puréed jalapeños that found their way into more cocktails. When Jacques Bezuidenhout, a bar consultant in the city who knew both Nepove and Bermejo, put Sweet Heat on the menu of his new restaurant and bar near Oracle Park, it was a hit. The recipe called for Licor 43, tequila, lime, and muddled jalapeño.
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David Nepove, a local bartender, won the Gran Centenario competition at Tommy’s by presenting his new Sweet Heat cocktail. Tommy even offered a challenge - anyone who could drink four shots of the habanero tequila would get their name added to the bottle.įlash forward to 2005, still at Tommy’s. Why not add some habanero peppers to the Blanco tequila? It was there that Julio Bermejo, who owned Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant and had invented his eponymous Tommy’s Margarita (a cocktail that replaces orange liqueur with agave nectar), had an idea. Our story now brings us to San Francisco in the early 2000s. What could be done to make the already-perfect mix of tequila, lime juice, and liqueur even better? Some heat, that’s what. However, in the past 15 to 20 years, some drinkers have begun to yearn for more. Garnish with lime wedges and a few sprigs of cilantro.The margarita has been on top since the 1940s, decades after the rise of cocktails in general. Strain into an iced salted rim prepared glass. Close tightly and shake vigorously until the outside becomes frosty. Shake and Serve: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, Silver or Blanco tequila, triple sec, fresh-squeezed lime juice, agave nectar, jalapeño slices, and a splash of orange juice.
SPICY MARGARITA RECIPE HOW TO
Here's How to Make the Best Spicy Jalapeno Margarita Chill the prepared glass in the freezer while mixing your drink.
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Then dip the rim of the glass in the salt at a 45-degree angle, rotating until coated. Take a lime wedge and run it along the rim of the margarita glass or rocks glass to moisten it. Muddle the blackberries using a muddler or wooden spoon. Add 5 blackberries, tequila, cointreau and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Strain out seeds then transfer simple syrup to a small container. How to Rim the Glass: Pour a thin layer of salt onto a small plate. Heat to medium heat and cook until sugar is dissolved. But if you're looking for a quality tequila that will make your spicy margaritas taste great, here are a few brands I recommend trying:Ģ ounces (good quality) Blanco Tequila or Silver Tequilaġ ounce Triple Sec (for this recipe, I used Cointreau Orange Liqueur)ġ Jalapeño Pepper - cut into thin round slices (use additional jalapeño slices to bring a bit more heat and spice to your margarita) Well, that all depends on your personal preference. Tell Me, What Are the Best Brands of Tequila to Shake Up With These Spicy Margaritas?
SPICY MARGARITA RECIPE UPGRADE
Amber in color, aged for 11 months, and with notes of butter and vanilla, it'll upgrade your margarita in a heartbeat. Aged for 45 days, it has a hint of vanilla.įor a stronger, spicier flavor, choose a Reposado tequila. It mixes well with other ingredients and doesn't overpower the drink. When it comes to margaritas, Blanco (or "Silver" or "White") tequila is the perfect choice for its light flavor and maximum versatility. What's the Difference Between Blanco and Reposado Tequila? What Type of Tequila is Best For Spicy Margaritas?Īs for the tequila, Blanco tequila (or "Silver") and Reposado tequila are both good choices because they are light in flavor and mix well.
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