Whether you’re a pepper addict or simply like a drink with a little spice, you’ll love this revamp of one of the world’s classic cocktails, made with the famous spirit of tequila.
As with any classic cocktail, there are countless claims to its origin, some more widely accepted than others.
One of the more popular is that it was created in 1938 when Mexican restaurant owner Carlos (Danny) Herrera made a cocktail specially for Ziegfeld showgirl Marjorie King. Supposedly, tequila was the only alcohol King could tolerate, so Herrera simply added lemon juice and salt. Another version claims that Texas socialite Margaret Sames (also known as Margarita) first served the drink at a house party in Mexico in 1948. Finally, some argue that the cocktail was originally a tribute to the actress Rita Hayworth, whose real name was Margarita Casino, during a concert in Tijuana in the 1940s.
Not wishing to pay credence to one story over another, historian David Wondrich suggests, in the book Imbibe, that the origin of the drink might not be all that glamorous and may just have been one of the many variations of The Daisy, a popular cocktail of the day made with lemon and syrup. After all, the literal translation of the daisy flower in Spanish is margarita.
The original recipe uses 10 parts tequila, 4 parts triple sec and 3 parts lemon juice. In this cocktail we are going to add a jalapeño chilli pepper to give it a special touch.
Ingredients
50ml of white tequila
25ml of orange liqueur
25ml of squeezed lemon juice
25ml of agave syrup
1 slice of lemon
2 slices of jalapeño (seedless)
Preparation
Rub the rim of a glass with a lemon wedge and dip the rim into a plate sprinkled with salt. Place the jalapeño slices in a shaker and shake gently. Add the white tequila, orange liqueur, lemon juice, agave syrup and ice. Shake until cool. Strain into a glass and add fresh ice. Garnish with a jalapeño slice.
Enjoy!
