Spicy Clementine Margarita for a Crowd
A little sunshine during the dark days.
by Erin Henderson
Chalk it up to my rebellious Aquarius nature, but I've never really been one to adhere to the seasonal rules of light and bright cocktails for summer and deep and brooding drinks for winter.
Sure, I'll nurse a contemplative Old Fashioned when the wind howls, and gulp a snappy daiquiri during a heatwave – I'm not immune to the vibes of the season – but I'll just as easily enjoy a whisky sour by the campfire in summer and a pine-y gin and tonic over Christmas.
And that's where this margarita comes in.
Margs are easily one of my Top 5 cocktails, and playing with flavours to make them a bit more seasonal is just part of the fun.
Counterintuitively, citrus is in full bloom during the winter – perhaps it's a peace offering from the gods for making it through six months of grey and early nights and frosted windows. But now's when the jewelled-tone fruits shine: deep red blood oranges, cute-as-a-button kumquats, delicately sweet Meyer lemons. With clementines piled high at the stores, i just couldn't resist and festive cocktail that celebrates the best of the season.
Spicy Clementine Margarita for a Crowd
As good as this drink is, it's not a last-minute thing. To get the spicy kick you want, you need at least an afternoon of macerating the jalapeño with the tequila, and up to 24 hours if you really want to feel it. Jalapeños can also be very mild and sometimes blow-your-head-off hot, so you may have to test as time wears on. Not the worst thing to happen to someone.
Makes: five cocktails
Bartender level: easy
Ingredients:
- 1 jalapeño
- 10oz white tequila
- 5oz orange liqueur
- 5oz fresh Clementine juice
- 2oz simple syrup (or more or less to taste)
- 2oz fresh lime juice
- Pinch of salt
- Tajin, for rimming
How to Make It:
- Slice the jalapeño in half, and add to a large measuring cup. Give it a gentle crush with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour in the tequila, cover, and leave on the counter for four hours or overnight.
- Strain the tequila, adding to a pitcher. You can throw away the jalapeño.
- Add in everything but the Tajin, stir to combine and leave in the fridge until needed (not longer than a day – fresh citrus juice turns tinny when left out too long.)
- Spread the Tajin on a plate. Rub the edge of a rocks glass with a cut lime. Dip the prepared glass in the Tajin.
- Add ice to the rimmed glasses and pour in the margarita and serve.