Spicy Grapefruit Margarita
Today is National Margarita Day. And since I love margaritas, participation was a must!
Where Did This Idea Come From?
At the 2018 Epcot Food & Wine Festival, I was introduced to Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur. It was love at first taste! Back around Halloween, we created a spicy margarita with it. We’ve been looking for an excuse to use the liqueur again, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Fresh citrus is abundant in South Florida, and the grapefruits have been particularly good lately. I had a couple in the fridge and some Ancho Reyes and plenty of tequila in the bar.
How We Made This Drink
A lot of taste testing went into this margarita! I went through a lot of combinations with 5 different tequilas with 3 different liqueurs added to them. I tried different combinations of juices and varying amounts of Simple Syrup. (It’s a wonder I could still stand by the time I was done!) I settled on a combination of fresh lime juice and fresh grapefruit juice mixed with Herradura Reposado and Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur. When I felt like I had the right combination, I enlisted the help of a neighbor for the final taste testing. (My taste buds were worn out!)
I got the go-ahead, and here we are. The rim is ringed with a combination of sea salt, chili powder, and cayenne. Don’t worry, it’s not as hot as it sounds. We dipped the rim in simple syrup to offset a bit of the heat. The addition of the fresh jalapeno will add a little more flavor. And if you want it spicier, you can always put it in a cocktail shaker with the jalapeno slices. Just remember that the more you shake it, the hotter it gets!
I hope you like this margarita as much as I do! Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think.
Spicy Grapefruit Margarita
Ingredients
Chili Salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Grapefruit Margarita
- 1 ¼ ounces chile liqueur
- 1 ¼ ounces silver tequila
- 4 ounces grapefruit juice
- 2 ounces lime juice
- 3 ounces simple syrup
- 1-2 slices jalapeño, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine sea salt, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Pour in a saucer or small plate.
- Run a wedge of lime around the top edge of your glass.
- Dip into salt mixture. Set aside.
- Combine chile liqueur, tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake until combined.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Gently add ice.
- Add jalapeño slices, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
One of the best ancho reyes drinks I’ve made. Pretty good balance of Heat, bitterness and Acid from the grapefruit, and sweetness. It’s a bit sweet for my taste, But i enjoy bitter things, sO might try it with less sugar next time.