Spicy Jalapeño Margarita Mocktail

Before you start

Chili heat does some of the work that alcohol usually does in a margarita. It warms the throat and slows you down, so a spicy mocktail feels more like a cocktail than a plain limeade. Fresh jalapeño gives a green, vegetal flavor along with the heat, and muddling a few slices releases enough of both without making the drink fiery.

The heat lives mostly in the ribs and seeds, so keeping or removing them is your main control. A little pineapple juice rounds out the spice and gives body, and a short splash of soda water at the end keeps it lively. Taste after shaking and adjust, since jalapeños vary a lot from one pepper to the next.

Ingredients

• 3 thin slices fresh jalapeño — seeds and ribs removed for milder heat; plus 1 slice for garnish
• 20 ml (⅔ oz) light agave syrup
• 30 ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice
• 30 ml (1 oz) pineapple juice
• 4 or 5 fresh cilantro leaves — optional
• 45 ml (1½ oz) cold soda water
• 1 tbsp chili-lime salt — or kosher salt mixed with a pinch of chili powder, for the rim
• 2 cups (about 300 g) ice cubes — for shaking and serving

Method

1. Rim the rocks glass by running a lime wedge around the edge and dipping it in chili-lime salt. Fill with fresh ice.
2. Put the jalapeño slices, cilantro and agave in the shaker. Muddle firmly 5 or 6 times to crush the pepper and release its oils.
3. Add the lime juice and pineapple juice. Fill the shaker two-thirds with ice, seal and shake hard for 10 seconds.
4. Taste a drop from the strainer. If it is not spicy enough, add another slice of jalapeño, muddle and shake again briefly.
5. Double-strain through the Hawthorne and fine strainers over the fresh ice to catch pepper bits and seeds.
6. Top with the soda water and stir once. Float a jalapeño slice on top as a garnish and a heat warning.

Tips for success

• Taste a tiny piece of the pepper before you start. If it is very hot, use just 1 or 2 slices.
• For steady heat across a batch, make jalapeño agave: warm 120 ml agave with 1 sliced jalapeño for 5 minutes, steep 15 minutes and strain. Use 20 ml per drink and skip muddling.
• Double straining matters here. Floating bits of pepper make some sips much hotter than others.

Substitutions

Jalapeño

Serrano is hotter; use 1 slice. A thin slice of fresh red Fresno chili gives a fruitier, similar heat and a red color.

Pineapple juice

Orange or mango juice also soften the heat. Leave the juice out for a sharper, drier drink.

Agave syrup

Simple syrup at 25 ml works. Honey syrup suits the chili well but adds its own flavor.

Variations

Spicy cucumber

Muddle 3 slices of cucumber with the jalapeño and replace the pineapple juice with water.

Spicy mango

Replace the pineapple juice with 45 ml mango nectar and rim the glass with chili-lime salt.

Troubleshooting

Far too spicy

Add 15 ml more pineapple juice and more soda to dilute it. Next time remove all seeds and ribs, or use fewer slices.

No heat at all

Some jalapeños are very mild. Leave a few seeds in, or add a drop of hot sauce to the shaker.

It tastes grassy

Too much cilantro or over-muddled pepper skin. Use only a few cilantro leaves and press firmly, not endlessly.

Storage

Serve immediately. Jalapeño agave keeps refrigerated in a closed jar for up to 2 weeks; discard it if it clouds or smells off.

Safety notes

Wash your hands after cutting chilies and do not touch your eyes. Capsaicin on the fingers can sting for hours; wearing gloves helps.