Cocktail Hour: Jalapeno Margarita

It’s time for another cocktail hour post. I’m not going to lie, but preparing for this post is pretty fun and usually, requires me to drink on several occasions. For today’s post, I’m serving up some Jalapeno Margaritas. I probably should have posted this before all of the Cinco de Mayo parties, but hey margaritas are for anytime/day of the week. If you need an occasion or reason to drink margaritas, there are plenty. To start off with, it’s sunny outside. What is better than a refreshing margarita on a hot sunny weekend? My friends, it doesn’t get much better. If you are into hosting Taco Tuesday dinners, then this jalapeno margarita would be a perfect surprise for your guests.

This recipe is the basic lime margarita with a couple of twists. The first spin on this margarita is that I added jalapenos. I love the flavor of jalapenos, and as a result, they mix perfectly with the tartness of the limes. It adds a bit more of a distinct flavor without making it super spicy. Although I love spicy food and drinks, I made this drink just to have the smallest essence of jalapeno. For more spice, feel free to add more of the enticing peppers.

The second twist on this jalapeno margarita is that I added lime flavored sparkling water. Now, this piece is something that I picked up from my sister. We were both doing a Whole 30 diet, and she wanted a margarita (sorry for calling you out, sis). She added the lime flavored sparkling water to make it a “skinny” margarita. So I thought this was a brilliant idea, not only because it made the margarita less sweet, but it also gave it fizzy. Now, let’s get started.

To begin with, you will want to line the rim of your glass with one of the lime wedges. Then place your glass upside down into the margarita salt, creating a rim of salt around your glass. Set the glass aside. Next, you will want to squeeze the juice from the lime to get two ounces of lime juice. I recommend having a juicer for citrus fruits. The first time I tried this, I squeezed the lime with my hands, and I do not recommend that method. Put the lime juice in the cocktail shaker. Add a few slices of jalapenos into the shaker. The number of jalapenos that you add depends on your taste. Muddle the jalapenos in the shaker.

Once you have finished, add the tequila, simple syrup, triple sec, sparkling water, and ice into the shaker. Now carefully shake the cocktail shaker (especially because there is a carbonated beverage inside). When you have finished shaking, pour the contents of the shaker into your glass. For the final touch, garnish with lime wedges and jalapeno slices. Finally, serve and enjoy.

Ingredients (makes one large jalapeno margarita)