We are getting spicy today with this one! This Clarified Spicy Margarita is a perfect balance of sweet and heat and unexpected texture for a Margarita. It’s approachable even for those timid with spicy drinks- the clarification process helps temper some of the heat and rounds out the lime for a super silky cocktail.
LET’S CLARIFY
If there is a clarified cocktail on a menu, I am ordering it! I love the texture and creativity that comes with clarified cocktails. So why clarify your cocktail? Well why not. It’s always good to question if a technique you are using is benefiting the end result of your drink. Does it need to be clarified, acidified or rotavaped for it to be a great cocktail? But at the same time, it’s great to experiment for the sake of it sometimes. It’s just a cocktail after all so have fun with it!
I wrote a whole post on how to clarify cocktails here if you want to dive more into the process!
When clarifying cocktails, there are two goals that you can have for using this the technique. One is changing the texture of the drink. Clarifying with milk leaves behind lactose which smoothes out the edges of citrus and tannins from things like barrel aging or tea and leaves the cocktail with a silky texture. The second is for the appearance. Clarifying removes color and cloudiness from most cocktails creating a perfectly clear drink. When poured over clear ice, it has a serious wow factor. A science experiment that’s also fun to drink.
With this spicy clarified Margarita, I wanted to both change the texture of what you expect with a spicy drink and a tart Margarita and the color to make it crystal clear. The milk rounded out the intense heat, making the spice linger, but not overwhelm you as you sip. And the tart, sharpness from the lime was mellowed after clarifying. After straining it came out crystal clear which gives it a different appearance than a classic Margarita. The clarity of the drink also shows off the the chili pepper ice cube.
INGREDIENTS IN A SPICY CLARIFIED MARGARITA
- tequila– I am using a blanco tequila, but a reposado would also work really well. I used El Tessoro Tequila
- lime juice– fresh squeezed lime is best
- orange liqueur– Cointreau is the classic and standard for a Margarita, but can use any orange liqueur here.
- simple syrup– a bit of simple syrup helps give the cocktail some texture and sweetness to balance the heat
- serrano pepper– serrano peppers bring the heat! I have been finding jalapeños have been hit or miss with being spicy so I have started use serrano peppers for my spicy drinks.
- milk– whole milk gives the best results for clarification but you can use 2% or even coconut milk for a dairy free option. But you need fat for the clarification process to work properly.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE CLARIFIED COCKTAILS
Pineapple Clarified Milk Punch
Tips & Tricks
- spicy peppers-I am using Serrano peppers instead of jalapeño peppers here. The spice level in jalapeños has been inconsistent recently some being barely spicy and almost like a bell pepper.
- Glassware – serve up the Margarita in a rocks glass. I like this shorter rocks glasses for Margaritas
- Garnish –a rimed the glass with Tajin for an extra kick of flavor, but you can also just use salt
- pepper frozen in clear ice– Using a clear ice mold like this one, add Thai chili peppers or other small pepper and freeze for a fun ice cube for your drinks. Because it is frozen, it doesn’t impart any extra spice into the drinks.
- filtering– coffee filters are my preferred way to strain milk punches. Paper towels or cheesecloth work as well for straining. Super bags are also a great option if you are planning to make a lot of milk punches.
- batching– this recipe is batched to make 4 drinks, but you can easily double this or triple it for a larger batch. To do this, you will want to multiply all your ingredient amounts – including the milk to keep the ratio of about 4:1 cocktail to milk – by how much extra you want. You can also just make 1 drink by diving each ingredient amount by 4. Although if you are going through the whole process of clarifying, you might as well make a few extra to keep in the fridge for when you want another!
Clarified Spicy Margarita
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: margarita
- Method: clarified
Description
We are getting spicy with this Margarita! The Clarified Spicy Margarita is approachable even for those timid with spicy drinks- the clarification process helps temper some of the heat. This is batched cocktail you can make days or even weeks ahead and makes enough for 4 cocktails..
Ingredients
- 1 serrano pepper, sliced and muddled
- 8 oz blanco tequila, I used El Tesoro
- 4 oz lime juice
- 2 oz orange liqueur, I used Alma Finca
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 4 oz whole milk
- garnish: 4 lime wheels, tajin for rimming
Instructions
1. Muddle sliced serrano peppers in a jar.
2. Add tequila, lime, orange liqueur and simple syrup to the jar.
3. Slowly pour in the milk. It will curdle, which is what you want.
4. Let sit for at least 4 hours or over night.
5. Fine strain by using a coffee filter or layered cheese cloth over a jar. The curds are what filter it so try not to disturb the curds too much.
6. Store in a sealed container. The cocktail is now shelf stable, but I like to keep it in the fridge so it’s chilled and ready to serve.
To serve:
- Rim a glass with lime. Sprinkle tajin to rim.
- Add ice to a glass. Pour the cocktail over the ice.
- garnish with lime wheel.
Notes
This makes enough for 4 cocktails. Double the ingredients for a larger batch
Once strained, the cocktail is shelf stable. I like to store it in the fridge however so it’s chilled and ready to go for when ever I want to pour it up.
Using serrano peppers to be sure you are getting a spicy cocktail. I have found jalapeños to be hit or miss with spicy these days.
Use whole milk for best results when clarifying.
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