The Best Way To Give Your Next Margarita A Spicy Jalapeño Kick

Want something spicy? You're not alone. In recent years, spicy foods and drinks have become increasingly popular. From red-hot corn chips, such as the best flavors of Takis, to the influx of intensely peppered candies, the trend towards the downright caliente is inescapable. This is not to say that spicy foods are worn out. Quite the opposite; the sheer breadth of applications for this flavor are immense. One such use for a peppery perk can be found in your margarita glass. 

Yes, jalapeños make a great addition to the sweet citrus drink. They add a piquant, green twist to the classic cocktail. If you're jalapeño margarita-curious, you may be wondering how, precisely, to add these little green peppers to your drink for maximum effect. You're in luck; Chris Furtado, area manager at Infinium Spirits, which distributes Tequila Corralejo, talked to Chowhound about how best to add jalapeños to your margarita. It's not the way you think.

"When using peppers, many people muddle [them] before adding the other ingredients," Furtado says. However, he uses a different method: "If you add whole slices and shake hard with plenty of ice, you will get similar flavors with less astringency and a more subtle heat." Essentially, the act of shaking your sliced peppers lets their flavor suffuse more subtly. Muddling releases more capsaicin than shaking since it crushes the membranes and seeds within the pepper that make it hot. Shaking also releases capsaicin, but less than being crushed.

Shaking your peppers into a margarita is a great way to mix it up. It's also a starting point, so add other ingredients that work well with your peppers. Chris Furtado suggests adding "additional ingredients to modify and complement the heat of the peppers." For example, he likes combining jalapeños, grapefruit juice, and cucumbers "for an awesome cocktail that is spicy and yet cool and refreshing." The citrusy taste of grapefruit plays well with the green taste of jalapeños and the cucumbers bring a cooling element that can help sippers who want to tamp down the heat.

Jalapeño peppers also pair exceptionally well with pineapples, so why not make a pineapple jalapeño margarita? Add a Tajín rim for the perfect spicy-and-salty contrast to really give your drink a punch. You can also use some spicy capsicums to perk up your next glass of sauvignon blanc. You should also use Furtado's mixing method for other peppers, such as the flaming hot scotch bonnets (which go well in a peach margarita). If you want a bit more complexity, fire roast your peppers before adding them to your drink. This, paired with a smoky, complex sotol, can take your cocktail to new, delicious heights.