Spicy Margaritas

Quality spirits aren’t meant to be harsh, but even with the best booze, there’s a breath-catching alcohol burn that can be deeply enjoyable. In a nice example of more-is-more, cocktail enthusiasts have figured out that adding the mouth-burning heat of chiles to an already strong spirit is a match made in Whooooooo-boy! heaven.

A margarita, for example, is already a perfect drink, with bracing lime tartness balanced by the aromatic sweetness of Cointreau and the agave notes of good blanco tequila. Add muddled chiles such as jalapeños to the mix, and their grassy flavor and pronounced heat push the drink in a bold direction. Maybe not better—it’s hard to improve on perfection—but just as good, and a welcome change of pace.

There’s more than one way to make a spicy marg, including time-consuming methods like infusing tequila with chiles. But muddling chiles directly in a cocktail shaker before building, shaking, and pouring the drink is arguably the best route for most home tipplers—it’s quick, easy, and highly customizable. You can dial in your heat level (and experiment with different types of chiles) on a drink-by-drink basis.

This recipe sticks to the classic margarita proportions, with the muddling of chiles first. A few tips will help you get the best version into your glass.

Dialing in the Heat

The big question for a spicy marg is: Just how spicy should it be? That is something you will have to decide for yourself. It doesn't help that jalapeños have become pretty inconsistent in their heat level, so you may have to adjust depending on the specific chiles you have.

If you want more heat, try any (or all) of the following:

• Use the whole chile, seeds, white pith, and all. The seeds and white pitch deliver much of the chile's heat, so including them will increase the impact.
• Let the muddled chiles sit in the tequila for a few extra minutes before building the rest of the drink and shaking it with ice. this will give a little extra time for the spice-causing capsaicin in the chiles to infuse into the alcohol, increasing the impact.
• Use more chiles. If your jalapeños are on the mild side, you may just have to muddle a bit more into each drink.
• Try a different chile. Serranos are a natural stand-in for jalapeños, and they typically pack more heat. But feel free to venture beyond that. Thai green chiles will deliver a sharper kick, while ripe habaneros bring not just heat but a sweet, fruity edge.

Of course if you want less heat, do the opposite of the above.

Approaching the Rim

Margaritas typically come with the glass rimmed in salt, and that works just as well in a spicy marg too. But the recipe below (and the photos here) show a Tajín rim, which plays to the chiles in the drink while still delivering the needed salt. Do whichever you want, or play with other ground chile–salt ideas—there’s plenty of room for small tweaks that add extra flavor and personality to your glass.