Fruity, Spicy, Delicious – Spicy Blackberry Margarita
The weather is getting sunny and the stores are filled with delectable berries here in California. I love blackberries. Especially when they are chubby and sweet. I use them in almost everything, but when I had a Spicy Blackberry Margarita, the sky opened up and the birds began to sing and……well, they are fabulous. It’s the combination of sweet berries and tart, juicy lime and the tequila doesn’t hurt a bit. If you have a spicy, adventurous side, you can add a little Jalapeno or Serrano pepper to the blackberry simple syrup recipe and you’ve got one sweet, hot mess of a delicious libation!
Choose your liqueur
I know that every margarita aficionado has his own version of the perfect, true margarita. But, let’s face it, this is not an authentic margarita, so I’m taking some artistic license and changing things up a bit. I don’t think you’ll be sorry. In this amped up version, we can use either Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier. I’m a giver, so I did a little taste test. I just so happened to have a bottle of each, so I put a bit of each in a glass and gave it my best critique. By far, the winner is Grand Marnier, then Cointreau, then Triple Sec. I also learned a little lesson, Triple Sec tastes vile on its own.
Some Like It Hot!
Now, let’s get to the spicy part. I admit to being a bit of a wimp when it comes to very spicy food. But, adding a bit of heat to the simple syrup gives this drink a lot of extra flavor. I’ve also heard that adding some spice on a hot day will actually have a cooling effect on your body, so there’s that! You can adjust the amount of heat based on your preference. It’s also hard to be sure that the pepper you are using is hot enough. I find that especially true of jalapeno peppers. I’ve bought some that actually have no heat. So, unless you really know your peppers, I would use a Serrano pepper. Serrano’s are always hot. You can really gauge your heat index with a pepper like a Serrano. I don’t like it too hot, so I’d use just about 1/16th of an inch for the amount of syrup in my recipe below, but I’m not the pepper police, so have at it.
Gather The Goods
Find your Tequila. I used a white Agave, but any Tequila you like will do. You’ll need a few limes, at least, your pepper of choice, your orange liqueur, some sugar for the rim of the glasses, plenty of ice and blackberries.
First, make your blackberry, pepper simple syrup. Put 3/4 cups fresh berries and the piece of pepper into a heavy bottomed sauce pan, turn the heat to medium high. Add 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Let the mixture come to a boil. Using a potato masher, break up the berries until they have disappeared into the mix. Let the mixture simmer for at least 4 minutes on medium heat. Let cool, then strain into a measuring cup or glass. Chill out…
Now you’re ready to go. put about 1/4 cup regular granulated sugar on a small plate. Using a micro-plane, zest a lime very lightly to be sure you’re just getting the outer most portion of the green peel. Put that into the sugar and give it a little mix with a fork. Set aside.
Now, quarter the lime you just zested and squeeze every last bit of juice out of it, the amount you get out is entirely based on how juicy your limes are. You’ll need 3/4 ounces of fresh lime juice for each drink, so get to squeezing, probably about 1 1/2 to 2 limes per drink. There is no substitute for fresh squeezed lime juice!
Using a bit of lime, go around the rim of your margarita glass. Then, put the rim into the sugar/zest mixture. Set your glass aside.
Shake it up – The Spicy Blackberry Margarita Recipe
To make one cocktail, add about 5-7 ice-cubes into a cocktail shaker. Add 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 3/4 ounces liqueur, 3/4 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice and 3/4 ounces of blackberry, pepper simple syrup. Shake Shake Shake Shake, I mean, really shake this thing. The more you shake, the icier that cocktail will be. Pour into your prepared glass. Garnish with lime and a few blackberries. Cheers! PS – This recipe is delicious if you omit the pepper too.
Ingredients
For the Margarita
- 1 1/2 ounces tequila
- 3/4 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
- 3/4 ounces Grand Marnier or Cointreau Liqueur
- 3/4 ounces Spicy Blackberry Simple Syrup
- garnish - lime slices and blackberries
For The Glass Rim
- 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- zest of one lime
For the Spicy Blackberry Simple Syrup
- 3/4 cup fresh blackberries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/16 inch piece of Serrano Pepper or 1/4 piece of Jalapeno Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Make spicy blackberry, simple syrup. Add 3/4 cups fresh berries and the piece of pepper into a heavy bottomed sauce pan, turn the heat to medium high. Add 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Let the mixture come to a boil, turn heat down to medium. Using a potato masher, break up the berries until they have disappeared into the mix. Let the mixture simmer for at least 4 minutes on medium heat. Let cool, then strain into a measuring cup or glass. Let chill completely.
- For the sugar rim: put about 1/4 cup regular granulated sugar on a small plate. Using a micro-plane, zest a lime very lightly to be sure you're just getting the most outer portion of the green peel. Mix with a fork. Using a piece of lime, gently go around the entire rim of your glass, then carefully put the rim of the glass into the plated sugar/lime zest. Set aside.
- Squeeze fresh limes, to get 3/4 ounce of lime juice. (About 2 limes)
- To make one cocktail, add about 5-7 ice-cubes into a cocktail shaker. Add 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 3/4 ounces liqueur, 3/4 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice and 3/4 ounces of the Spicy Blackberry Simple Syrup. Shake vigorously. Pour into your prepared glass. Garnish with lime and a few blackberries. Cheers!
- PS - This recipe is delicious if you omit the pepper too.
