Jalapeño and Fresh Orange Margarita

Makes 1 drink

This is the perfect margarita when you want a bit of heat and don’t want to splurge on two bottles of alcohol; my ultimate margarita uses Cointreau as well as tequila. The fresh fruit juices make the drink amazingly refreshing and the bit of spice just pushes it up a notch.

Ingredients:

6 oz. good 100% agave tequila

4 oz. jalapeño simple syrup, recipe below

2 limes, juiced

4 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

Jalapeño Simple Syrup:

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

1 jalapeño, remove seeds if you don’t want too spicy or leave if you love the heat

Make It:

First make your simple syrup. In a small sauce pan, bring water to a boil and stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and add in jalapeño. For a slight jalapeño flavor, remove after 15 minutes. Otherwise, leave in until it reaches the intensity you prefer.

To make your margarita, fill a shaker with ice and then add in all ingredients. Shake until ice cold and then pour into your glass. Savor, you’ve earned it!