holiday drink essentials: kicked-up margaritas

Name: Holiday Drink Essentials: Kicked-up Margaritas
Prep time: 6 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ## PLAN/PURCHASE; ## THE KICKED-UP TEQUILA; 1 1/2 cup(s) good tequila, your choice; 2 - 3 chili peppers, sliced in half, lengthwise; 3 - 4 slice(s) fresh cucumber; ## TO MAKE ONE MARGARITA YOU WILL NEED; 1 1/2 ounce(s) kicked-up tequila; 1 ounce(s) orange liqueur, cointreau, grand marnier, or orange curaçao; 3/4 ounce(s) agave, honey, or maple syrup; 1/2 medium lime, just the juice, about 2 tablespoons; ice

8 Pinches 14 Photos

Andy Anderson !

Wichita, KS

Updated on Nov 1, 2023

As I am writing this, Halloween is in the rearview mirror, and we are right in the middle of the Autumn holiday season, and nothing… I mean nothing says holidays better than alcohol. This is, what I am calling a “kicked-up” margarita. It uses a good tequila, chili peppers, cucumbers, and a few other bits to create an awesome, spicy margarita. I had to try a lot of these, just to make sure I got it right… It was hard, but somebody had to do it. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

Rate

prep time 6 Hr

cook time

method No-Cook or Other

yield Several

Ingredients

PLAN/PURCHASE
THE KICKED-UP TEQUILA
1 1/2 cups good tequila, your choice
2 - 3 chili peppers, sliced in half, lengthwise
3 - 4 slices fresh cucumber
TO MAKE ONE MARGARITA YOU WILL NEED
1 1/2 ounces kicked-up tequila
1 ounce orange liqueur, cointreau, grand marnier, or orange curaçao
3/4 ounce agave, honey, or maple syrup
1/2 medium lime, just the juice, about 2 tablespoons
ice

How To Make holiday drink essentials: kicked-up margaritas

Step 1

PREP/PREPARE

Step 2

What to serve with it? Well, you should serve it with more of the same. One margarita, two margaritas, three margaritas, four… five margaritas, six margaritas, seven margaritas, FLOOR!!!
Step 3

How to store it? If you follow the recipe, you have enough kicked-up tequila to make 16 margaritas. You do not want to pre-make the margaritas, but the tequila will last pretty much forever. Just put it in a nice glass container with a tight-fitting lid and stick it in the fridge or in a dark cabinet.
Step 4

The Chilis There are a ton of different chilis out there. In order of heat from low-to-high, here are a few: Peppadew, Jalapeño, Poblano, Guajillo, Serrano, Red Cayenne Pepper, Habanero, Ghost Pepper, Carolina Reaper. Choose one that gives you the heat you want. If you are not sure, I find the humble Jalapeño is a good place to start.
Step 5

The Cucumbers To me, the cucumbers were a game changer. They mellow out the drink and pull together the other elements into a yummy margarita.
Step 6

Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
Step 7

Add the tequila, peppers, and cucumber slices, to a jar with lid, and let sit, for at least six hours, or longer. After about six hours open and take a slight taste, if you like it, you are ready to go. Not spicy enough, let it sit for more time.
Step 8

Strain the tequila and save the peppers for another recipe, or discard.
Step 9

Time to make a Kicked-up margarita.
Step 10

Add the ingredients in the proper proportions into a cocktail shaker full of ice, and shake-baby-shake.
Step 11

PLATE/PRESENT
Step 12

Pour into your serving glasses and have fun. Enjoy.
Step 13

Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
Step 14

Namasté
Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!

Discover More

Comment & Reviews

Just A Pinch Sweepstakes