Cocktail Trends: Spicy

One of this year’s hottest cocktail trends seems to be savory and spicy cocktails. A little heat can warm you up in winter, or surprise your taste buds in summer. Adding a spicy element to cocktails is not necessarily something new, but as of late, it has become easier and easier to satisfy your savory cravings at a bar in your area. Some of the most popular spicy cocktails are inspired by well loved classics, including savory bloody marys, spicy micheladas, and jalapeno moscow mules.

Hot peppers get incorporated into these drinks in a number of ways. A single cocktail may have multiple uses of spice in one glass. Some popular techniques include infusing liquor with pepper slices, rubbing a hot pepper slice on the rim of a glass, adding fresh pepper slices in the drink itself or using a fiery salt mix around the rim. Bartenders are getting more and more creative so this is just to name a few.

Are you intrigued by these kicked up cocktail concepts? You can make most of these drinks at home with just a few ingredients. If you have some uncooked peppers left over from dinner, or a blossoming garden with your favorite kinds of peppers, just about any classic drink can be given a little more heat.

They are perfect for parties hosted at your place, simply multiply your recipe to prep for a group. Be conscious of the heat level, you do want you or your guests to have the opportunity to enjoy the taste. Add some spice to the food that will be served to tie it all together. Interested in tasting a spicy cocktail of your own? I’d like to share a favorite spicy cocktail recipe of mine that you can try yourself.

Jalapeno Grapefruit Margarita

To make this spicy cocktail, you’ll want to pour the tequila into a large jar or container. Add 4-5 jalapeno slices to the jar and seal. Steep for about 30 minutes. The longer the steep, the spicier your tequila will be.

Next you’ll want to prep the glasses. Rub a lime wedges around the rim of all your glasses. Dip each glass into the chili-salt mix. This will ensure a little heat for your cocktail.

Finally, to make your margarita, add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill to the top with ice, shake, pour the margarita into the salted rim glasses and you are ready to serve some spicy cocktails.

Ingredients:

3 Ounces Preferred Tequila

4 Ounces Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice

2 Ounces Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

2 Ounces Agave Nectar

4-6 Thin Jalapeno Slices

Plenty of Ice

Salt Rim Ingredients:

4 Teaspoons of Kosher Salt

4 Teaspoons of Standard Chili Powder

A Single Lime Wedge Per Glass

Garnish:

One Small Grapefruit Chuck Per Glass

2-3 Jalapeno Slices Per Glass

Serves Approximately 4-6 People

Did you try this cocktail out? Leave a comment and let us know what you thought.