Spicy Margarita
Also known as Spicy Marg, Jalapeño Margarita
A Margarita with chilli: jalapeño-infused tequila or a chilli syrup adding heat to the lime and agave.
The Spicy Margarita is a 2010s menu standard with no credited author: bars either infuse tequila with jalapeño, muddle fresh chilli, or use a chilli syrup, and the heat has to be balanced against the lime rather than simply added. It arrived with the wider chilli-and-citrus trend in American bars and is now close to a default variant of the Margarita. Because the heat level varies wildly between bars, it is one of the few drinks where asking for the recipe is genuinely useful.
- Chilli-infused spirits became a category of their own, and the same treatment spread to mezcal and vodka drinks.
- Mezcal Margarita with chilli
- Mango chilli Margarita
- Spicy Paloma
“Capsaicin keeps building with each sip, so most bars keep the infusion light rather than muddling fresh chilli.”
Ingredients
- Jalapeño-infused tequila50 ml
- Lime juice25 ml
- Agave syrup15 ml
- Orange liqueur15 ml
- Saltfor the rim
- Chilli sliceto garnish
Method
Shake the tequila, lime, agave and orange liqueur with ice, strain into a salt-rimmed coupe and garnish with a chilli slice.
Coupe · no ice · salt rim · chilli