So what if it's just the 5th of March and not Cinco de Mayo. Why not toast the last days of winter (and the seasonal availability of tart and juicy blood oranges) with a spicy-cool spin on the Margarita?
I recently test-drove this intriguing recipe as part of a "virtual cocktail party" hosted by Kara Newman, cocktail columnist for Chile Pepper Magazine and author of Spice & Ice: 60 Tongue-Tingling Cocktails. (You can check out what some other bloggers are doing with her heated-up recipes here.)
A refreshing riff on the basic tequila + triple sec + lime juice Margarita formula, this version spices things up by incorporating tequila that's first been infused briefly with fresh jalapeño slices, and gains extra citrus dimension - and a distinctively deep pink hue - with the addition of fresh blood orange juice.
In preparing my cocktail, I made a few adjustments according to personal taste. I like things on the hotter end of the spectrum, so I upped the jalapeño quotient, using a whole pepper in just half a cup of tequila instead of the full cup called for, and I then let the slices steep for a full 4 hours, instead of 2. I also scaled back on the sweetener (the Cointreau) so that the tartness of the fresh citrus juice would shine through. This is a recipe with a little leeway: Spicy/mellow, tart/sweet - play with it and see what works best for you.
The resulting drink had a robust but balanced mixture of flavors. I could feel the heat of the jalapeño, but even at extra-strength, it wasn't overpowering and blended nicely with the bright, fresh taste of the citrus juice. It would make a great accompaniment to a meal - with the very first sip, I found myself craving Mexican food.

Blood Orange-Jalapeno Margaritas
(adapted from Kara Newman, Spice & Ice: 60 Tongue-Tingling Cocktails)
makes two drinks
4 ounces jalapeño-infused silver tequila (*see recipe below)
3 ounces fresh-squeezed blood orange juice
1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
3 ounces Cointreau (I scaled it back to 2 ounces)
[*To make jalapeño infusion: Slice up a fresh jalapeño pepper and allow it to steep in 1 cup (I used just half a cup) of tequila for 2 hours. Taste to check the heat level, and continue to steep if a stronger infusion is desired (I left the slices in for a full 4 hours). Once infusing process is complete, remove the slices by pouring the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer.]
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Optional garnish: salt the rim of the glass.
Nora Maynard is a longtime home mixologist and an occasional instructor at NYC's Astor Center. She is a contributor to The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries and is the recipient of the American Egg Board Fellowship in culinary writing at the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow. She previously covered food and drink in film at The Kitchn in her weekly column, The Celluloid Pantry.
Further Reading:
- Kara Newman, Spice & Ice: 60 Tongue-Tingling Cocktails (Chronicle Books, 2009)
- Kara's Spice & Ice blog
Related: All About Margaritas
(Images: Nora Maynard)
Peeler by Normann C...

Comments (10)
Wow. I cannot wait to try this!
A friend recently whipped up a similarly spicy tequila cocktail: http://doctorbyday.com/archives/84
Whoops, not tequila at all, I was thinking of a different cocktail.
Ooohhh, looks so tasty. Maybe I'll make these to go with the posole I'm making for friends tomorrow night.
We have been making jalapeno lime tequila all winter long. And have yet to been able to keep a bottle. Each time we open one someone raves about it, and magically it goes home with them!
The infused tequila is awesome in margaritas and Tequila Sunrises/ Sunsets. The BF likes it in Sangritas, a bloody mary type concoction made with Clamato juice. Bleh.
Sounds awesome. A definite must-try.
Well I tried these last nght, and they were beautiful. If you like a sweet drink, you'll have to tweak it, but that's easy. The hint of jalepeño was great, and very subtle. Not very hot at all. This is a keeper, and im making more tonight. They sneak up on you bigtime though, so be warned, very smooth going down.
Oh we love making blood orange margaritas. We make one using spicy ginger - I have to say it is the best one I have ever had, outside of Sayulita! http://www.chezus.com/cocktails/second-year-birthday/
Yowzers. I don't know what the difference was, but when I tried this tonight it was powerfully spicy. My husband couldn't finish more than a couple sips and we both like things hot. I'll try infusing the tequila for only an hour next time.
Squeezing all those blood oranges was a bit of messy process, but the results was so good. I only steeped the tequila/jalepenos for 1 hour, which gave it just a background of heat -- I felt any more time would have overpowered the fresh orange and lime. Thanks for my wildly popular party drink!