Jalapeño-Infused Spicy Margarita with Chili-Lime Salt Rim

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A bar-grade spicy margarita where the heat is built into the spirit instead of muddled in at the last second. A 20-minute jalapeño infusion gives the blanco tequila clean, green chile warmth, fresh lime and agave keep it tart and honest, and a mezcal float adds smoke on the finish. Shaken hard over big ice, poured into a glass rimmed with homemade chili-lime salt.

Ingredients

• 5 oz blanco tequila (100% agave)
• 1 medium jalapeño, thinly sliced, seeds and ribs reserved separately

• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp chili-lime seasoning or ancho chile powder
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 lime wedge, for wetting the rim

• 2 oz fresh lime juice (from about 2 large limes)
• 1 oz orange liqueur such as triple sec or Cointreau
• 1/2 oz agave nectar
• 1/2 oz water (to loosen the agave)
• 1/2 oz mezcal, for floating (optional)
• ice cubes, for shaking and serving

• 2 thin jalapeño rounds
• 2 lime wheels

Instructions

1. Infuse the tequila: put the sliced jalapeño flesh into a clean jar and add the 5 oz blanco tequila. For medium heat add half the reserved seeds and ribs; for mild, leave them out entirely. Seal and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, swirling once or twice.
2. Taste the infusion at 20 minutes by dipping a clean spoon. You want a bright, grassy warmth that builds slowly, not a burn. If it needs more, give it 5–10 more minutes, tasting every 5 minutes — past 40 minutes the tequila turns bitter and vegetal.
3. Strain the tequila through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jar, pressing lightly on the peppers. Discard the solids. You'll have about 4 1/2 oz of usable infused tequila. It keeps 2 weeks in the fridge, though the heat softens over time.
4. Make the rim salt: on a small plate, rub together the kosher salt, chili-lime seasoning and sugar with your fingertips until evenly colored. The pinch of sugar keeps the rim from reading harshly salty.
5. Rim the glasses: run a lime wedge around the outer edge only of two rocks glasses, then roll the outside of each rim through the salt mixture at a 45-degree angle. Rimming the outside keeps salt from falling into the drink and over-seasoning it. Fill each glass with fresh ice and set aside.
6. Loosen the sweetener: stir the agave nectar with the 1/2 oz water in a small cup until fluid. Thick agave clings to the shaker and never fully integrates.
7. Build the drink: in a cocktail shaker, combine 4 oz of the strained jalapeño tequila, the 2 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz orange liqueur and the thinned agave.
8. Fill the shaker two-thirds with ice, seal, and shake hard for 12–15 seconds — until the outside frosts over and your hand aches from the cold. This chills and dilutes the drink properly; a lazy shake gives you a flat, syrupy margarita.
9. Double-strain through the shaker's built-in strainer and a fine-mesh sieve into the prepared glasses, dividing evenly. Straining out the ice chips and pepper bits keeps the texture clean.
10. Float the mezcal, if using: hold a bar spoon just above the surface of each drink, curved side up, and pour 1/4 oz mezcal slowly over the back of it so it settles on top. The first sips will carry smoke.
11. Garnish each glass with a lime wheel and a floating jalapeño round, and serve immediately while the drink is still frigid.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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