7 Ways to Make a Spicy Margarita!

The Spicy Margarita

A Spicy Margarita offers an adventurous twist on the classic cocktail, combining the usual elements of tequila, lime, and sweetener (typically in the form of orange liqueur) with a touch of heat. This fiery variation has gained popularity among cocktail enthusiasts looking to add a bit of excitement to their drink repertoire.

There are a number of ways to create a spicy margarita at home. Remember that the spice should complement the drink’s refreshing qualities rather than overpowering it with heat.

Here are 7 ways to incorporate chilli into your margaritas whilst outlining the pros and cons of each method.

Here is a classic, non-spicy margarita recipe for reference:

• 60 ml blanco tequila
• 30 ml orange liqueur
• 22.5 ml lime juice

1. Muddled Jalapeño

Let’s start with the simplest way of introducing some spice into your margaritas, muddling.

Flavour and heat can easily be extracted from jalapeños by muddling a few slices and shaking them within a drink. A gentle muddle will extract a surprising amount of heat so be cautious!

Of course you’re not limited to jalapeños - you can use an array of chilli peppers to impart heat and flavour. Some alternative (and hotter) chilli peppers include the Serrano chilli pepper (2.5x hotter), Cayenne chilli pepper (12.5x hotter) and Bird’s Eye chilli pepper (15x hotter).

The heat and flavour of the chilli peppers can quickly be incorporated into your drink with muddling but the amount of heat imparted can be inconsistent depending on how much you muddle and how hard you shake.

You could also opt to use chipotle peppers which are chilli peppers that have been smoked. This will incorporate another layer of flavour and smokiness to your spicy margaritas.

We use this method to make our Spicy Pineapple Margaritas!

2. Chilli Liqueur

A liqueur typically has 200–250g of sugar per litre. Because of the sugar content you can’t simply add the liqueur in addition to the orange liqueur in your margarita. You will need to use it as a replacement for the orange liqueur otherwise you’ll end up with an overly sweet drink. If you still want the orange flavour you can opt for a 50/50 split of chilli liqueur and orange liqueur, although the level of spice will be mild.

There are a limited number of chilli liqueurs available but one of the most popular brands is Ancho Reyes, with two product lines available. The original is made from red peppers whilst Verde is made from green peppers. The original tastes like dried, smoky, spicy peppers, whereas Ancho Reyes Verde tastes like fresh, crispy, green, spicy peppers. Ancho Reyes original is a great option to use to create a flavourful margarita with smoky and earthy characteristics but the spiciness will be relatively mild.

An alternative option is G.E. Massenez Liqueur de Piment d'Oiseau which is made from bird's eye chillies resulting in a spicier liqueur.

3. Bittermen’s Hellfire Habanero Shrub

A shrub is a concentrated syrup that combines fruit, sugar, and vinegar. A company named Bittermen’s used this old technique with habanero peppers instead of fruit to create a hot and spicy shrub with plenty of heat and a pickled chilli character from the cider vinegar.

Adding a dash of Bittermen's Hellfire Habanero Shrub to your margarita will result in a good level of heat.

4. Spirit Infusion

The heat in chilli peppers is courtesy of a compound called capsaicin which is soluble in ethanol. This means that the heat (and flavour) of a chilli pepper can be easily extracted by macerating peppers in spirit (vodka, tequila, etc.).

Slice up a few chilli peppers and add it into your bottle of tequila. The amount of heat extracted from the peppers will be determined by the type of chilli, the length of maceration and whether or not the seeds were also added. If you opt to use jalapeño peppers you will only need to macerate for 24 hours in order to get a good level of spiciness.

Proceed to use this spicy tequila in your margaritas. If you find it too hot you can dilute it with more non-infused tequila.

5. Tincture

A tincture is made in the same manner as an infusion but is stronger / hotter. It’s designed to be micro dosed into a cocktail (measured in drops and dashes) rather than in larger measurements.

Start by infusing chillies into your high proof neutral spirit (or vodka) at a ratio of approximately 1 to 5. For example, 20g of sliced chillies to 100g of spirit. Ideally you will use a spirit that is 50% or above for the best extraction. Let it sit at room temperature for up to two weeks.

The resulting tincture can then be transferred to a dropper bottle. It will be packed full of heat so you will only need to add several drops to each margarita. The heat added into your margarita can easily be controlled when using a tincture and it will last for up to 5 years.

Alternatively, you can pick up a bottle of Scrappy's Bitters Fire Tincture if you don’t like the DIY approach.

This is our preferred method for adding heat and spice to an existing recipe without having to alter the recipe specs.

Try adding a dash of chilli tincture to our Tancelocello Margarita!

6. Chilli Salt

A spicy chilli salt can be applied by rimming the edge of your glass. Each sip will be welcomed with salt and spice but it is limiting. After a few sips the salted rim will be depleted and you’ll be left with a less spicy margarita. Chilli salt is best used to compliment one of the other techniques listed above.

7. Hot Sauce

Adding hot sauce into your shaker tin is a hack to make a spicy margarita although it will impart other flavours and ingredients. Many hot sauces contain onion, garlic, vinegar, honey, and spices so this option should probably be used as a last resort to add heat to your margaritas.

Riff on Your Margarita

In addition to adding spice to your margaritas, try replacing the orange liqueur with our Tangelocello for a unique twist!

Buy Tangelocello