Description
This Spicy Cherry Chili Lime Margarita is the perfect Valentine’s Day cocktail. It’s as sweet and spicy as a great relationship! A jalapeno simple syrup adds just the right amount of spicy sweetness that’s echoed again by the salty, sweet, and spicy rim of the glass. It’s gonna be a challenge to have just one.
Ingredients
For the jalapeno simple syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced (leave seeds in for extra heat)
For the chili lime rim:
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Lime wedges
For the margarita:
- 2 ounces white tequila (I used Patron)
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce jalapeno simple syrup
- ¼ ounce maraschino cherry liqueur (I used Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur), optional
- 2 ounces tart cherry juice
- Sliced jalapenos, as garnish
- Black cherries, pitted and halved, and used as a garnish
- Lime slices, as garnish
- Fresh mint sprigs, as garnish
Instructions
Make the simple syrup.
In a small saucepan over high heat, stir together the water, sugar, and jalapeno pepper slices.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the liquid into a lar with a tight-fitting lid.
Allow the syrup to come to room temperature, then screw on the lid and chill until needed.
Make the rimming mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, sugar, chili powder, and cayenne pepper until well combined.
Pour the mixture onto a flat, rimmed dish.
Make the cocktail.
Rim a margarita glass with a lime wedge.
Dip the rim of the glass into the rimming mixture until the top of the glass is well coated with the mixture. Fill the glass halfway with crushed ice. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour in the tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and cherry liqueur.
Shake the mixture until the outside of the shaker turns icy cold.
Strain the liquid into the prepared margarita glass.
Garnish the cocktail with jalapeno slices, fresh cherry halves, a slice of lime, and a sprig of fresh mint.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Starters - Cocktails
- Method: Shake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cherry chili lime margarita, spicy margarita recipes, margarita recipes, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day cocktails, cherry lime cocktails