Spicy Italian Margarita

Votes: 1

18+ Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health!

Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 1

"I love Margaritas! Especially spicy ones," shares recipe author Dana Beninati. "But I'm not a fan of store-bought Margarita mixes with their artificial ingredients. In this recipe, homemade limoncello comes to the rescue! I use it in two ways: to add a refreshing citrus flavor to the drink and to wet the rim of the glass for garnishing with salt. The chili paste is optional, but it adds a pleasant kick to every sip."

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Cocktail

90 ml chilled limoncello (see below for homemade limoncello recipe) + a little extra to wet the rim of the glass
60 ml of gold tequila
0.5 tsp Calabrian chili paste (optional)
Coarse salt to garnish the rim of the glass
60 oz unsweetened lime seltzer, such as Spindrift

Homemade limoncello

4 organic lemons, thoroughly washed and dried
2 cups of vodka, such as Tito's
3/4 cup sugar or 3/4 cup store-bought sugar syrup + more to taste

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: tequila, Calabrian pepper (paste), mineral water, limoncello liqueur, lemon, vodka, syrup

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add limoncello, tequila, and chili paste, if using. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
Wet the rim of an Old Fashioned limoncello glass. Sprinkle the rim with salt. Fill the glass with ice. Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass. Top with seltzer and serve.

Homemade limoncello

Finely grate the yellow lemon zest, being careful not to remove the bitter white pith. You should have about 1/4 cup of zest. Transfer the zest to a jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the vodka, seal, and shake. Store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. Strain the infused vodka through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. You may need to line the sieve with a coffee filter. Discard the zest (or dry it and mix it with margarita salt).

Note

Wash the lemons thoroughly with a sponge in hot water to remove the wax. Meyer lemons are one of the best options.
Combine the sugar with 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set the syrup aside to cool completely. Mix 3/4 cup of the sugar syrup (or more, if desired) with the infused vodka. Store in a tightly sealed bottle in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Exit: about 3 tbsp.

Categories:

recipe / Summer dishes / Festive dishes / Party Dishes / Alcoholic cocktails / Tequila cocktails / Tex-Mex