It’s cool. It’s refreshing. It tastes like something you’d get at a spa on Cinco de Mayo. It tastes like the color light green.
When we were creating our menu for Chile Fest, there was no doubt what our signature cocktail would be: Jalapeno-Cucumber Margaritas.
Years ago, we watched one of the funniest 10 seconds in Iron Chef America history go down (and because it was years ago, the only evidence appears to be a poor-quality video-of-a-video). Morimoto pops a jalapeno in his mouth, takes a few bites, and then reaches for a fire extinguisher. I hate when that happens. And nearly every time we’re slicing peppers in the kitchen, someone reenacts the event. It’s funny. It’s juvenile. But so are we 🙂
That episode also spotlighted the cowboy-hat wearing, tequila-shooting Tim Love. The Texas chef served up a jalapeno margarita with one of his dishes that left a big impression on us. We love jalapenos. And we love margaritas. Putting them together is an experience. You take a sip, think, “Wow! This tastes just like jalapeno, cucumbers, and tequila!” After 1-2 more sips, most people are done. A little goes a long way here so serving it in tall, chilled shot glasses makes the most sense to us.
Jalapeno-Cucumber Margaritas
Jalapenos and cucumbers offer a unique, cool, and refreshing twist on the classic margarita.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tequila
- 1/4 cup orange liqueur
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar)
- 4 thin slices cucumber
- 4 thin slices jalapeno
- Salt for glass rims (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a pitcher.
- Chill for at least an hour (the longer the margarita sits, the more cucumber and jalapeno flavors infuse into the drink).
- Serve over ice in salt-rimmed glasses.
Notes
Yields: 2-3 drinks or 8 shooters
Estimated time: 1 hour 5 minutes