#MargaritaWeek: Mint Cucumber & Smoky Jalapeno Margarita

You’ve arrived to Margaritaville! Population: You, dudes.

…Also known as my mouth, every couple weeks.

Welcome; I promise – I’m minty fresh.

I have fond memories of margaritas. Albeit fuzzy. But fond.

Partially because I love margaritas. Partially because I like Jimmy Buffet. But mostly because years ago, I used to visit my Mom and Dad as snowbirds in Mazatlán.

We’d spend days walking around the city, checking out the sites.

We discovered out of the way restaurants to dine ocean-side.

Mom and I went body boarding; Dad couldn’t be coaxed into the water.

We learned Spanish.

We participated in Carnaval.

We crashed a wedding once.

We were tourists… And there were margaritas.

To this day, the smells and flavours I experienced in México haunt me like a sexy dream… You just want to fall back to sleep and get it on. Barry White style.

So much so that I get serious hankerin in my pants for a good margarita on a regular basis.

Like I said, every couple weeks.

Lucky for me, there’s this brilliant Cantina on 4th Ave that serves them up real good. And tasty. And just like I used to drink in México. It’s called Las Margaritas (right???) and is only a 10 minute walk from my apartment. 

As you meander down the hill to the restaurant, the intoxicating scent of corn tortillas and lime juice guide you to their doorstep. That, and the rhythmic swaying of palm trees under the twinkle lights of the patio.

Okay, there aren’t palm trees. But there’s definitely palm bushes. And so much mariachi music. And fresh guacamole.

Oh, and margaritas. Did I mention the margaritas?

..Walking 10 minutes back up hill works off all the calories in those babies, right?

When it comes to cocktails, I am emphatically classic: Anti-blended, anti-sugar and pro-booze. But for today’s post, I wanted to get a little crazy and create a drink that honours the quintessential essence of the margarita yet entertains something new.

I wanted to go all loca on your asses.

So, Mint Cucumber & Smoky Jalapeno Margaritas.

You guys – these guys are daaaaangerous.

Delicious. Aromatic. Refreshing. Complex in flavour. Simple in nature. And boozy.

To help you when making your own Mint Cucumber & Smoky Jalapeno Margaritas (or any margaritas, for that matter) here are a few guidelines to follow to get the best margarita in your face:

First, make sure your salt is flaky and coarse. Fine grind table salt has no place on a margarita. Or on the table for that matter. Throw that shit out. I recommend Maldón because it melts on your tongue but a nice kosher would work too. I was lucky enough to have Jayme (who is super badass, btw) gift me some incredible Unicorn Salt. Uh, clearly I used that. The fact that it had smoked paprika in it (as does my recipe for your salt rim) was just damn good luck.

Second, tequila. Oh, for the love of tequila. Use lots! Despite the fact that it’s been known to make my clothes fall off, I have a love affair with good quality tequila. For the purposes of our margarita, look for 100% agave reposado or blanco (aka silver) tequila. I used George Clooney’s Casamigos Reposado because, well, George Clooney. But it also has this incredible caramel aroma and full mouth feel. It’s also a little gritty at the end. Which is how I like my tequila. And my lovers. Ow ow! Not that I’m saying George (yeah, we’re on a first name basis) and I are lovers or anything….

Side note: Clooney. Tequila. Fresh produce. Unicorn salt. Do I really need to convince you any further that this drink is ‘da bomb?

Second side note: I may need to convince you that *I* am in fact, ‘da bomb… Considering I use outdated phrases like “da bomb”. But trust me – while I may not be, this drink is legit. Too legit to quit.

Damn it….

Moving on.

Alternatively, if you’re feeling extra saucy and want to try something other than tequila, grab a bottle of smoky Mezcal instead. It’s super smoky.

Third, there are so few ingredients in a margarita that you have to choose your ingredients wisely. Just like the Gin Old Fashioned or the best damn Gin & Tonic I’ve ever had (both of which also hold fond, fuzzy memories for me), you have to use the best quality ingredients your purse strings can spend. There’s no where for shitty flavours to hide in there. Simply put, if you use crap ingredients, you’ll have a crap margarita. So get clean: organic. Get fresh: make out with me no lime cordial, margarita mix or concentrate. Get real: use lots of tequila and as little sugar as possible.

Fourth, shaken, not stirred. Or god damn blended. Clearly I feel strongly about this. You want the drink to be appropriately frosty but not so cold it numbs your tongue or waters down the flavours. Shaking – the cocktail shaker, the mason jar, and/or your fine ass is appropriate here.

Fifth, make lots. Duh.

Before we get to the recipe, I’m giving a huge tequila induced shout out to Kate Ramos at ¡Hola Jalapeño! for organizing all us crazy margarita-infused food minds to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and #MargaritaWeek… And for giving me a reason to buy some new tequila.

Be sure to check out the other 35 creations by visiting Kate’s site. If you like margaritas (and clearly you do, which is why we’re such close bffs), you’ll like her post.

And now, bring on the tequila!

Cheers my friends. Here’s to fond memories, fuzzy memories and good memories all the same. ¡Salud!

The post #MargaritaWeek: Mint Cucumber & Smoky Jalapeno Margarita appeared first on She Eats.

Kristy Gardner
Lascivious lover of good, “ethical” food & wine.

http://gastronomicalsovereignty.blogspot.com

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