They say you are what you eat. If that’s true, we are one hot tequila-infused tamale. J/K. Kind of. We may not really be a tamale picante, but we do like hot foods and spicy drinks. For some of us, the spicier the better. And while we are people, not food, we do agree that what we eat says a lot about our personalities. Think about the people you know that like plain pasta with butter. Or white bread sandwiches with turkey, no cheese. The friends that order level 7 at the local Thai spot. And the buddies that put Sriracha on EVERYTHING (even popcorn).
Do food choices define their personalities? Not exactly. But sometimes pretty close. Now think about that friend (or maybe it’s you) that orders their Bloody Mary EXTRA spicy and drinks it down with sweat beading on their brow. They are pretty bold people, wouldn’t you say? For those people in your life, we offer you the best spicy tequila drink recipes in our collection.
But…before we start mixing up the spice, it’s important to understand the levels of heat. The Scoville scale (pictured below) measures the spice of peppers. The scale measures and ranks the pungency of capsaicin, the active compound that gives peppers their spice. Capsaicin is an irritant that produces a burning sensation in the tissue (think taste buds, throat, esophagus, stomach) that it comes in contact with. Note that this scale developed by Wilbur Scoville relies heavily on the subjective capsaicin sensitivity of the peppers’ taste testers. BTW, that’s not a job we want.
“Banana Pepper Level” Spicy Tequila Drinks
The mildest of the mild on the Scoville scale are the pimentos and banana pepper. Now we don’t technically have a spicy tequila cocktail made with pimentos or the sweet yellow banana pepper. However, we do have a masterfully mixed cocktail that’s spiciness is balanced with the chocolatey richness of cocoa. The Chocolate Chili cocktail is hot chocolate-tequila-fusion. It mixes organic Azuñia Reposado, hot chocolate, and Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur, topped with whipped cream. Make it for your sweet friend that keeps people guessing because every now and again she wears dark red lipstick and high heels to the grocery store.
“Poblano Pepper Level” Spicy Tequila Drinks
A little more spice with a little less nice are the next cocktails on our list. Dia De Los Muertos and Ancho Business rise up the Scoville scale slightly. The Dia De Los Muertos is a beautiful combination of organic Azuñia Reposado, Sweet Vermouth, Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur, and orange bitters. The bite of the chili and orange bitters is mellowed by the Vermouth. Blending organic Azuñia Blanco, Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur, agave nectar, and fresh lime and pineapple juices, Ancho Business is your favorite tequila drink elevated. Think of it as a fruity margarita that bites – gently. These hot libations are for people who love nights that start with happy hour and end in an impromptu road trip up the coast.
“Serrano Pepper Level” Spicy Tequila Drinks
Climbing the heat meter slightly is the Jalapeño Margarita. Organic Azuñia Reposado, agave nectar, and fresh lime are catapulted to next-level spice with muddled jalapeños. Don’t forget to up the heat factor with a chili powder salted rim.
This piquant potion’s spice can be adjusted to taste. Just a little jalapeño for those mildly daring friends who want some tingle on their tongue. Or right up to super smoking hot for the crazy buddy who loves to sweat it out (not just at the gym).
Habañero Pepper Level – Spicy Tequila Drinks
What’s beyond hot? Scorching. Sizzling. Sweltering. Those come close but they don’t quite encapsulate the essence of the Bhut Jolokia, a.k.a. the ghost pepper. The ghost pepper comes in at over a million units on the Scoville scale (compared to 8,000 units for the jalapeño). For a period of time, it held the title as the “World’s Hottest Pepper,” but was recently replaced by the Carolina Reaper.
We have some really crazy, errr, bold friends. But we can’t imagine even the wildest of them enjoying, let alone sipping a cocktail mixed with the hot mess of the Carolina Reaper. For our bungee-jumping, cliff-diving, alligator-wrestling friends, we give you the Ghost Pepper Cocktail. This near-toxic concoction mixes Reposado tequila, fresh lime, agave nectar, water, and ghost peppers. Note that the instructions advise gloves when handling the peppers. They really are THAT potent.
Off the Scoville Chart
It takes all kinds of people to make the world go round. There are those that like it hot, and those that like it sweet, and there is everyone in between. We have cocktail recipes for all personality types. Find your flavor and get to mixing!
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On a scale of 1 to 10, how spicy do you like your drinks? Please let us know in the comments below.
