Spiced Margarita
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 23.1% ABV ∙
The Spiced Margarita is a muddled-chili take on the classic, shaken with tequila blanco, triple sec, and lime and served on the rocks. Bright lime and agave sweetness hit first, then a slow chili burn builds through the finish, with cilantro adding a fresh, herbal lift.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, muddle: Red chili pepper 1 slice and Coriander/Cilantro leaves 3 sprigs
- Add the remaining ingredients: Tequila blanco 45 mlTriple sec 20 mlLime juice 20 mlAgave syrup 5 mlSaline solution 1 dashAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Shake hard with ice to fully chill and dilute before fine-straining, so no muddled solids or seeds reach the glass.
- Add the saline solution and bitters with the other ingredients if using them — both are optional but round out the sweet-heat balance.
History
The Spicy Margarita, often also called the Spiced Margarita, is a modern riff on the Margarita that adds heat, typically from muddled or sliced chili such as jalapeno. Its rise is tied to Soho House's Picante de la Casa, created in 2012 by Chris Ojeda at Soho House in West Hollywood as a simpler take on an earlier "House" drink, the Margarita Picante served at Soho Beach House in Miami; the chili-spiked format went on to become one of the group's best-selling cocktails and helped popularize the style more broadly. Other accounts trace early experiments with chili-infused margaritas to American bar and restaurant kitchens in the early 2000s, including work associated with Julio Bermejo, the San Francisco bartender credited with the Tommy's Margarita.
The drink's base, the Margarita, is generally said to have emerged in Mexico or the American Southwest in the late 1930s or 1940s, made from tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice, though its exact creator and first venue are disputed among several rival claimants. The Spicy Margarita keeps that same tequila-and-lime foundation and simply adds chili heat to it.
FAQ
How do you make a Spiced Margarita?
Muddle a slice of red chili and a few cilantro sprigs in the base of a shaker, then add tequila blanco, triple sec, lime juice, and agave syrup and shake hard with ice. Fine-strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass and garnish with a lime wedge. A dash each of saline solution and Angostura bitters can be added with the other ingredients for extra depth.
What alcohol goes in a Spicy Margarita?
Tequila blanco is the base spirit, paired with triple sec as the orange liqueur.
What's the difference between a Margarita and a Spicy Margarita?
A Spicy Margarita starts from the same tequila, orange liqueur, and lime as a classic Margarita but adds a muddled chili — here a slice of jalapeño or fresno pepper along with cilantro — for heat and a fresh herbal note. The rest of the build, including the agave syrup, stays the same.
What is the 3:2:1 rule for margaritas?
The 3:2:1 rule is a common Margarita ratio guideline of three parts tequila to two parts orange liqueur to one part lime juice. This build follows a similar tequila-forward structure but adds a touch of agave syrup along with muddled chili and cilantro rather than sticking to the plain three-ingredient ratio.
How do you spice up a margarita?
Muddle a slice of chili, such as jalapeño or fresno, with the other ingredients before shaking, as this build does alongside a few cilantro sprigs for a fresh, herbal edge. Leaving the seeds in the chili slice increases the heat, while removing them keeps the spice milder.
What are some common margarita mistakes?
The most common mistakes are over-muddling the chili and cilantro, which turns the drink bitter, and skipping the fine-strain, which lets muddled solids and ice shards into the glass. Using bottled lime juice instead of fresh, and under-shaking so the drink stays under-chilled and under-diluted, are the other frequent errors.
