WITH London Cocktail Week approaching this week, there’s no better time to shake up a tipple, and the Margarita has always been a crowd-pleaser, with the spicy version being a more recent invention.
In the early 2000s, San Francisco bartender Julio Bermejo began experimenting with habanero-infused tequila, and in 2005, David Nepove put the style on the map with his award-winning Sweet Heat cocktail. Since then, the Spicy Margarita has become a modern classic, now a fixture on cocktail menus worldwide.
Bright, zesty, and packing a punch thanks to the chilli heat, it cuts through the autumn chill. Here’s how to make one at home or where to order in London.
London Cocktail Week Spicy Margarita Recipe
Spicy Margarita
Ingredients:
- 50 ml Clase Azul Reposado tequila
- 25 ml Cointreau
- 25 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml agave syrup or simple syrup
- 2 thin slices fresh chili, red or green depending on heat preference
- Chili salt for the rim, made by mixing fine salt with chili powder or Tajín
- Dried lime wheel for garnish
Method
- Rim part of the glass with chili salt for a modern, minimal finish.
- Lightly muddle chili slices in a shaker.
- Add tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and agave. Shake hard with ice.
- Fine strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a dried lime wheel.
If you’d rather sip than shake, order a Spicy Margarita at some of the city’s finest cocktail destinations from the Lobby Bar at The London EDITION to East London’s cult favourite Satan’s Whiskers, the agave-forward Side Hustle within NoMad, The Donovan Bar in Mayfair, or Hacha, London’s celebrated agaveria specialising in tequila and mezcal.
by Felicity Carter
See more on londoncocktailweek.com.