Make spicy margaritas — shaken, on-the-rocks — for a cocktail that delivers both pucker and heat
The recipe for El Bosco’s signature cocktail comes with a make-ahead hack you’ll wish you tried way sooner
Sweet and sour with just the right amount of salt — there’s a reason the margarita is so beloved; it takes our palate by storm with every sip. This recipe makes the signature cocktail at El Bosco, a Toronto-based food truck and catering service. It has a few small twists on the classic concoction, matching the usual pucker with a bit of heat. It calls for a whole bottle of tequila that you infuse with jalapeño peppers once, and can reach for anytime you’re making a batch of these margs, or are seeking a paloma with some added kick.
Signature Margarita (Spicy Margarita)
By Ismael Castro
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 750 mL bottle reposado tequila
- 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded, deveined and sliced
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ oz simple syrup (see recipe below)
- Ginger beer, to taste
Garnish:
- Kosher salt
- 1 lime, quartered
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced into wheels
Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup water
Preparation
Remove 3 oz of tequila (reserve for another purpose), and add the sliced jalapeño peppers to the tequila in the bottle. Let the peppers infuse in the bottle overnight.
Once the infused tequila is ready, rim a rock glass with kosher salt and fill it up with fresh ice.
In a martini shaker, add 2 oz of tequila, plus the lime juice and simple syrup. Cover and shake. Pour into rimmed glass and top it up with ginger beer.
Garnish with lime and jalapeño pepper wheels. Salud!
Simple Syrup:
Combine sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce on low heat for 4 minutes. Let cool and transfer to an airtight container.
Makes about 1 cup of syrup.
Yield: Makes 1 margarita, plus leftover infused tequila