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holiday drink essentials: kicked-up margaritas

Andy59 avatar
Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
@Andy59
Wichita, KS

As I am writing this, Halloween is in the rearview mirror, and we are right in the middle of the Autumn holiday season, and nothing… I mean nothing says holidays better than alcohol. This is, what I am calling a “kicked-up” margarita. It uses a good tequila, chili peppers, cucumbers, and a few other bits to create an awesome, spicy margarita. I had to try a lot of these, just to make sure I got it right… It was hard, but somebody had to do it. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

yield serving(s)
prep time 6 Hr
method No-Cook or Other

Ingredients For holiday drink essentials: kicked-up margaritas

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • THE KICKED-UP TEQUILA
  • 1 1/2 c
    good tequila, your choice
  • 2 - 3
    chili peppers, sliced in half, lengthwise
  • 3 - 4 slice
    fresh cucumber
  • TO MAKE ONE MARGARITA YOU WILL NEED
  • 1 1/2 oz
    kicked-up tequila
  • 1 oz
    orange liqueur, cointreau, grand marnier, or orange curaçao
  • 3/4 oz
    agave, honey, or maple syrup
  • 1/2 md
    lime, just the juice, about 2 tablespoons
  • ice

How To Make holiday drink essentials: kicked-up margaritas

  • 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • 2
    What to serve with it? Well, you should serve it with more of the same. One margarita, two margaritas, three margaritas, four… five margaritas, six margaritas, seven margaritas, FLOOR!!!
  • 3
    How to store it? If you follow the recipe, you have enough kicked-up tequila to make 16 margaritas. You do not want to pre-make the margaritas, but the tequila will last pretty much forever. Just put it in a nice glass container with a tight-fitting lid and stick it in the fridge or in a dark cabinet.
  • 4
    The Chilis There are a ton of different chilis out there. In order of heat from low-to-high, here are a few: Peppadew, Jalapeño, Poblano, Guajillo, Serrano, Red Cayenne Pepper, Habanero, Ghost Pepper, Carolina Reaper. Choose one that gives you the heat you want. If you are not sure, I find the humble Jalapeño is a good place to start.
  • 5
    The Cucumbers To me, the cucumbers were a game changer. They mellow out the drink and pull together the other elements into a yummy margarita.
  • 6
    Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
  • 7
    Add the tequila, peppers, and cucumber slices, to a jar with lid, and let sit, for at least six hours, or longer. After about six hours open and take a slight taste, if you like it, you are ready to go. Not spicy enough, let it sit for more time.
  • 8
    Strain the tequila and save the peppers for another recipe, or discard.
  • 9
    Time to make a Kicked-up margarita.
  • 10
    Add the ingredients in the proper proportions into a cocktail shaker full of ice, and shake-baby-shake.
  • 11
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • So Yummy
    12
    Pour into your serving glasses and have fun. Enjoy.
  • Stud Muffin
    13
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
  • Peace to all
    14
    Namasté
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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