Spicy Margarita with Scotch Bonnet Tequila Recipe
Spicy Margarita with Scotch Bonnet Tequila Ingredients
2 oz / 60 ml Blanco tequila (I used Dulce Vida, infused with my homegrown scotch bonnet peppers)
.5 oz / 15 ml Cointreau, or orange liqueur of your choice
1 oz / 30 ml Lime juice
.5 oz / 15 ml Agave syrup
Tajín for the rim
Lime wheel and a slice of scotch bonnet for garnish
How to make a Spicy Margarita with Scotch Bonnet Tequila
Rim an empty old fashioned glass with Tajín.
Shake the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and agave syrup with ice. Strain into the glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with a lime wheel and a slice of scotch bonnet.
Margarita is Spanish for daisy, and this is a straight daisy spec: two parts tequila, one part lime, and one part sweet, split between Cointreau and agave. The heat comes from the tequila itself. I infused a bottle of Dulce Vida blanco with scotch bonnets from my garden, then forgot about it for about six months. It came out peppery but not too spicy, which is exactly where you want a margarita.
The Tajín rim adds a little more chili and lime. Salt works if that's what you have.
Don't want to wait on an infusion? Try my Tanteo Jalapeño Margarita, made with a tequila that comes already infused with fresh jalapeños.
How to make scotch bonnet tequila
Slice 9 or 10 scotch bonnets (wear gloves) and drop them into a bottle of blanco tequila. Taste it now and then. Mine sat for about six months and still wasn't too hot, so there's no rush to strain the peppers out.
How hot is a scotch bonnet?
Scotch bonnets run 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville heat units, against 2,500 to 8,000 for a jalapeño. That sounds alarming, but spread through a whole bottle of tequila and then cut with lime, Cointreau and agave, it's a solid medium.
Can I use simple syrup instead of agave?
Yes, same amount.
Salt or Tajín?
Either. Tajín is chili, lime and salt, so it doubles down on the drink. Plain salt keeps the focus on the pepper.
