3 Margaritas To Drink Right Now (And How To Make Them Spicy)
Three Margaritas you absolutely need to make, as well as a rundown on how to make jalapeño tequila.
For a few months now, I’ve been fielding your cocktail-related questions. It’s slightly therapeutic, and the whole situation would have romcom potential if You’ve Got Mail weren’t already a film. As I continue to sort through your responses, there’s one trend that really sticks out: your fixation with Spicy Margaritas.
I’m not a doctor, but I’d call this a somewhat healthy fixation. Spicy Margaritas are delicious. A little while ago, we published a brief tutorial for how to make them - but it just showed you one way, and, considering your level of obsession, you deserve a few more. So today we’re going to run through my top three methods for how to make a Margarita that burns your mouth (pleasantly).
We’ll start with the easiest technique, and work from there - but before we dive in, it’s important that you know how to make a proper Margarita. Check out our guide, then use one of the following methods (all of which involve jalapeño) to add a new spicy dimension.
Method 1: Muddling
Pros: Fast, simple
Cons: Mildly annoying if you’re making multiple Margaritas
The quickest way to make a Spicy Margarita is to cut a few thin slices of jalapeño and muddle them in the bottom of your shaker. You don’t need to turn them into a paste - just give each slice a few hard smacks, then add the rest of your ingredients, and shake. It’s that easy. Although I caution you against touching your eyes after you slice your jalapeño. It won’t feel good.
Method 2: Infused Tequila
Pros: Feels impressive, streamlines the Spicy Margarita-making process
Cons: Takes two days, you have to commit to drinking a lot of spicy tequila
Want to earn the respect of your friends and family with a trick that takes minimal effort? Infuse a bottle of tequila with jalapeño. First, find a mason jar that can hold 750 ml. Then, add some thinly sliced jalapeño, seeds and all. Two jalapeños is typically a good number - but they tend to vary in size, so if you want an exact measurement, I’d go with 50 grams. Next, add your full bottle of tequila, and let that sit in a cool dark place for two days. Give the jar a shake every few hours (or whenever it occurs to you to do so), and, after two days of infusing, strain out the jalapeño, and return your tequila to its original bottle. Finally, make a Margarita with this tequila.
Method 3: Tincture
Pros: Super convenient, you can use it for other cocktails
Cons: Takes three days, you have to find Everclear
Finally, there’s the tincture method. This is essentially the same as the previous method, just on a smaller, more concentrated scale - but instead of tequila, you’re going to use Everclear (which has a terrifyingly high ABV of 95%). Slice two jalapeños or roughly 50 grams, add that to 150 ml of Everclear in a mason jar, let that sit for three days (shaking intermittently), then strain. You’ll be left with a bright green liquid that tastes like the essence of jalapeño. Add a few dashes (and only a few dashes) to your next Margarita, or try using this tincture to spice up some other cocktails. A Jungle Bird or a Mai Tai, for example.
Hopefully, that satisfied your curiosity, and you can now stop having stress dreams in which a teacher who looks like your mom asks you to make Spicy Margaritas in front of the class. If you want to mess around with your newfound knowledge, here’s where to start.
Spicy Margarita
A Spicy Margarita is just like a regular Margarita, but spicy. You use the exact same ingredients, with the addition of jalapeño. Why jalapeño? Because you can find this chili at most grocery stores, it provides a good amount of spice, and if you accidentally use too much, you won’t need to rinse your mouth out with milk. Probably.
How To Make A Spicy Margarita →
Avocado Margarita
If you’re anything like us, you know how it feels to stare at an avocado for hours on end while you wonder what it would taste like in a cocktail. You can stop staring now - because today you’re going to put some avocado in a Margarita. The result is a pastel-green drink with a little more body than a regular Margarita and a mildly fruity flavor that’s only barely distinguishable as avocado. Overall, this is a surprisingly subtle drink, and it’s even better when you make it spicy.
How It Tastes: Cool, Refreshing, Surprisingly Subtle
Drink If You: Would like something unique, and have always wanted to unlock the full potential of avocados
How To Make An Avocado Margarita →
Strawberry Margarita
You can use just about any berry in a Margarita - but we especially like the mild, distinctive flavor of strawberry. We also like the color of a well-made Strawberry Margarita, and we suspect you will too. The trick is: strawberry syrup. And if you suspect this syrup will be difficult to make or that you might have to use your stove despite the fact that it’s 90 degrees outside, think again.
How It Tastes: Tart, Summery, Like It Should Come With An Umbrella
Drink If You: Are looking for something fun and colorful or have an excess of strawberries
How To Make A Strawberry Margarita →
Jalapeno Margarita
If you want to be able to drink a Spicy Margarita at any given time without having to worry about how many jalapeños you do or do not have, make yourself a batch of jalapeño-infused tequila. It’s about as easy as making a mayonnaise sandwich or a glass of milk, and, once you’re done, you can tell everyone within shouting distance that you know how to infuse things.
Suggested Reading
A Watermelon Margarita is summer in a glass, and if you’ve never made one yourself, your life is about to improve.
We don’t want to be rude, but we think you’re probably making your Frozen Margaritas wrong. We’ll show you how to do it right.
If you want to feel like you’ve just landed in a pile of shaved ice that tastes like tequila and grapefruit, you should make a Frozen Paloma.