Spicy Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita

Name: Spicy Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita Cocktail Recipe
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: Blanco Tequila; Fresh Lime Juice; Simple Syrup; Jalapeño Slice; Cucumber Wheel Garnish; Jalapeño Slice Garnish

Tequila

Prep time: 10 mins

Author: The Bar Team

A cocktail in a glass rimmed with chili powder, garnished with a cucumber slice and a whole jalapeño, sits on a white surface next to cucumber and jalapeño slices.

This isn't your average sweet margarita. Spicy jalapeño and cucumber combine as a dynamic duo in this spicy cucumber jalapeño cocktail recipe. It’s simple to make but packs a lot of flavors.

Ready to try a spicy cucumber jalapeño margarita yourself? Follow these steps for a spicy experience for you and your friends.

What you’ll need:

Ingredients:

Serves:

Blanco Tequila
1.5oz
Fresh Lime Juice
0.75oz
Simple Syrup
0.25oz
Jalapeño Slice
To muddle
1
Cucumber Wheel Garnish
To garnish
Jalapeño Slice Garnish
To garnish

Method

Step 1
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and gently muddle.
Step 2
Add ice.
Step 3
Shake vigorously and fine strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
Step 4
Garnish with a cucumber wheel and a jalapeño slice.

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Ready to get spicy? Try our spicy cucumber jalapeño margarita recipe.

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In this recipe

Engravable

Casamigos

Casamigos Blanco Tequila

70cl

A black cocktail shaker set with a jigger, cocktail shaker, bar spoon, and strainer displayed against a plain background.

Viski

Gunmetal Mixologist Barware Set

Other Colors Available

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LSA International

Gems Tumbler, Set of Four

Jade

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August Morgan

Cocktail Napkins, Fiesta Siesta

Two hands clink glasses of a clear cocktail with jalapeño slices and chili powder on the rim, held over a blue swimming pool.

Who invented the spicy margarita?

When you think of a margarita, you might think of the three classic ingredients of tequila, lime juice and an orange liqueur. But mixologists love to shake things up (literally and figuratively), leading to new favorites like spicy margaritas.

We can’t tell you who exactly invented the spicy margarita, but we do know it was made famous in the early 2000s when blanco tequila was infused with habanero peppers in order to pack the heat.

In the early 2000s, a spicy margarita craze hit the industry. As more bartenders came up with more variations, spicy margaritas spread. Now, you’ll find them on menus across the country.

Two people hold up glasses of a cocktail with ice, lime slices, and jalapeño slices, with one glass garnished with a lime wedge.

What does the spicy cucumber jalapeño margarita taste like?

This recipe features muddled jalapeño and cucumber, a mix of spicy and refreshing-tasting, paired with more traditional margarita flavors.

Jalapeño is the key to the spice in this margarita

Jalapeños are medium-sized green chili peppers common in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines. While not overly spicy, they can still bring a delicious amount of heat without overpowering other flavors.

Why cucumber?

The cucumber's cool, mild flavor soothes the bite of jalapeño, lime and tequila.

Lime juice is essential

Lime juice provides the classic lime flavor of a margarita, while the sour tang complements the spicy jalapeño.

Simple syrup

It adds a hint of sweetness – all the better to appreciate the spice.

Blanco tequila for the win

Also called silver or white tequila, blanco tequila provides the base of this drink. Blanco tequila is distilled and bottled without aging, leading to a clear spirit. Blanco has a sweet, fruity flavor with a strong agave flavor. We recommend a quality, agave-forward tequila like Casamigos Blanco or Astral Blanco.

When you sip this drink, you won’t be lacking for flavor.

Variations to customize the spicy cucumber jalapeño margarita

Want to get creative? Try out some of our variations.

For even more intense jalapeño flavor

You can make your own infused tequila right at home. Pour as much blanco tequila as you like in a glass or mason jar. Add 1-2 sliced jalapeño peppers, cover and let sit overnight. Strain out the jalapeños, then use the infused tequila for this recipe. Don’t have time to infuse your own tequila? Try 21Seeds Cucumber Jalapeño Blanco Tequila, already packed with flavor.

For more agave flavor

Replace simple syrup with agave nectar. Also known as agave syrup, it’s even sweeter than sugar or honey, so keep that in mind and use less if you want to keep the drink on the spicier rather than sweet side.

If you don’t have a muddler

No muddler? That’s okay! We recommend using a wooden utensil to preserve natural flavors. You can use the back of a wooden spoon, the end of a wooden rolling pin (one without handles), or even a dowel. Remember to twist and press, not pound, for the best flavor.

Switch up the spirits

Smoky flavors and jalapeño are a classic pairing. To make this a smoky spicy margarita, try replacing the blanco tequila with a delightfully smoky mezcal (like our Casamigos Mezcal). Just like tequila, mezcal is agave-based (in fact, tequila is a type of mezcal), so you won’t miss out on any agave flavor, but you will have a brand new flavor profile experience of smoky jalapeño.