What type of tequila should I use?

I think this depends on your budget and your own personal tastes! Blanco, aka "silver" (unaged) tequila is commonly used for margaritas, but that's not to say you can't use an aged tequila (reposado) if that's more your style. Either way, I always look for one that is 100% agave for the best flavor. For my spicy margaritas, I use Espolòn Tequila Blanco. I found this article testing a variety of different silver tequilas helpful, so if you are in the market for a new tequila for margaritas, check it out!

What type of glass should I use?

Here is another area where you have a lot of options - there's always the classic margarita glass, with a wide, double bowl and stem (you know the one!). Or, you can also go with an old fashioned (rocks) glass or regular coupe or cocktail glass. Here I used these fun stemless margarita glasses (affiliate link) . I like these glasses because they are sort of a combo of a rocks glass and a margarita glass (and they feel much more stable in my hand than a traditional margarita glass!).

How do I make the margarita more (or less) spicy?

The heat level of these margaritas will depend a lot on how hot your particular jalapeños are, which can vary a lot in their spice level. So, if you like, you could taste a tiny piece of the raw jalapeño before making the drink, and decide how much to add depending on the heat level of that particular pepper. To scale down the heat from what is written in the recipe, use one slice of jalapeño rather than two . You could also remove the ribs and seeds before muddling the pepper. To scale up the heat, use three or even four slices of jalapeño. For major heat lovers out there, you could even try adding a small piece of a pepper that is slightly hotter, such as a serrano. (If you are sensitive to heat however, please be careful because the serrano is 3 - 9 times hotter than a jalapeño! Here is a good article that describes the heat of a serrano vs. jalapeño .)

Spicy Margarita

Print Recipe

A tart yet well-balanced margarita with an added spicy kick from muddled jalapeño peppers! This spicy drink has a slow-building heat that will have you feeling the burn (in a good way!).

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 drink 1x
Category: drinks, cockails
Method: shake
Cuisine: American, Mexican inspired

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
2 - 3 quarter-inch slices of jalapeño, plus more for garnish
1 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice (from about 1 - 1 1/2 limes), plus extra limes for garnish
ice
2 ounces blanco (silver) tequila
1 ounce Cointreau (or other orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
1/4 ounce (1 1/2 teaspoons) agave syrup, or to taste (optional)

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Instructions

Mix together the kosher salt and chipotle chili powder in a small plate. Rub the juicy part of a cut lime along the edge of your glass of choice, making sure there is ample moisture on the rim so the salt mixture adheres well. Then, roll the wet outside edge of the glass in the chipotle salt mixture. For a thicker layer, gently tap the glass into the mixture rather than rolling. Set the glass aside. (See notes 1 - 2.)
Add the jalapeño pepper slices to a cocktail shaker. Muddle the pepper slices very well; making sure they are very broken down and that juice has began to come out of the peppers. (This step is very important to do thoroughly, this is what gives the drink its heat!)
Leaving the jalapeño peppers in the bottom, fill the cocktail shaker up with ice. Pour in the lime juice, tequila, Cointreau (or other orange liqueur), and optional agave syrup. Seal the cocktail shaker with the lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds, or until an even layer of condensation appears on the outside of the shaker.
Add fresh ice to the prepared glass. Then, strain the margarita into the glass and garnish with additional jalapeño slices and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can use any type of glass you have on hand; good options are a margarita glass (of course!), an old fashioned glass (aka "rocks" glass), coupe glass, or cocktail glass.
When salting the rim, I like to use this tip I learned from Serious Eats, to salt only the outside top edge of the glass, rather than the top rim itself. This helps keep excess salt from entering the drink. Also, there will be some salt mixture left over, since it's hard to get a good adhesion of salt with a very tiny amount. You can use the leftovers to make another drink!
If you don't have agave syrup, you can substitute simple syrup.
You can customize the heat level of the drink by adding more or less jalapeño. To really reduce the heat level, you can even remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeño. To amp up the spice level, you could even try adding a small slice of serrano pepper, which is 3 - 9 times hotter than jalapeño!

Hot pepper safety tips:

If you have sensitive skin or are working with very hot peppers (or, just want to be cautious), wear disposable gloves when handling the peppers.

If you choose not to wear gloves, wash your hands well immediately after handling the peppers (no one wants hot pepper in their eyes!).

Don't look down into the glass while muddling the peppers! You don't want to get splashed in the eye with a drop of pepper juice.

Keywords: margarita, spicy margarita, jalapeño margarita

Find it online: https://nibbleanddine.com/spicy-margarita/