Happy almost Cinco de Mayo, amigos! How about a spicy Habanero Ginger Beer Margarita this morning? I know it’s early — and it’s early in the week — but in honor of my favorite Mexican holiday this weekend, I kinda feel like spicing things up today.
If you’ve never had a spicy margarita before, this is the one to make. Not only because it’s super simple but because spicy tequila paired with sweet ginger beer and a lick of sea salt creates the most incredible flavor trifecta your tastebuds could ever imagine.
Habanero-slicing aside, this easy, 5-ingredient habanero ginger beer margarita is super easy to make. Just run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass, flip it over into a pile of flaky sea salt, fill your glass with ice, add all of your ingredients, and give it a stir.
As for infusing your tequila, I did the math. All you need are three habanero peppers and 4-6 hours soak-time to give your tequila serious kick, which means you can still stop by the liquor store after work on Friday and show up to your friend’s fiesta this weekend with a bottle of spicy tequila in tow. Obviously, the longer the peppers infuse the spicier it will be, but I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised after just a few hours of soak-time.
Allow me to impart a little habanero know-how before you get started though. These peppers are insanely hot. Touching them and then rubbing your eye or itching your nose will pretty much ruin your entire life for the next several hours, if not longer. Hand-washing won’t do much for you either so do yourself a favor and throw a couple of plastic baggies over your hands before handling these hotties!
As for the tequila, it just needs to be silver. No need to get too fancy but preferably not from a plastic bottle with a handle. Two good ones are Jose Cuervo Tradicional and Patron Silver.
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Spicy Habanero Ginger Beer Margarita
- Prep Time: Minimum 3 hours to infuse tequila
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: About 12 margaritas (2-ounces tequila per drink) 1x
Description
Looking for a cocktail with a kick? This spicy Habanero Ginger Beer Margarita will do the trick. Infuse your tequila and top it off with crisp ginger beer, fresh lime juice, and a lick of sea salt.
Ingredients
For the Habanero-infused Tequila
- 750 mL silver tequila
- 3 medium habanero peppers, sliced with seeds in tact
For a Pitcher of Margarita
- 2 cups habanero-infused tequila
- 1 cup fresh lime juice (from about 6 limes)
- 4 cups non-alcoholic ginger beer
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
For Individual Margaritas
- 1/4 cup habanero-infused tequila
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup non-alcoholic ginger beer
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
For the Habanero-infused Tequila
- Thinly slice the habanero peppers, keeping the seeds in tact. Transfer peppers to a quart-sized mason jar and add tequila. Screw on the lid, shake well and allow to soak for at least 4-6 hours, or up to 3 days if time allows. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight.
- When fully infused, pour tequila through a mesh strainer to remove the peppers and seeds. Pour tequila back into the jar or original tequila bottle. If returning infused tequila to the original bottle, you may want to label it so unknowing guests don’t get a spicy surprise later.
For the Margaritas (Pitcher or Individual)
- First, prepare the glasses. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each glass and press each into a small plate of coarse salt until the rim is lined with salt. Fill each glass with ice and set aside.
- For a pitcher of margarita (makes 8), combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Stir well and divide among 8 prepared glasses. Finish each with a squeeze of fresh lime.
- For individual margaritas, combine all ingredients directly in the prepared glass. Stir well and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime.
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Infusion
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7-ounce margarita
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 4mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: habanero ginger beer margarita
Looking for more cocktail recipes? This is my other favorite drink!
Thanks for this fantastic recipe! I love your site and have made a bunch of your recipes, and all have been very successful! Any substitutions for the simple syrup? Totally not a fan of it, but definitely want to try this recipe. Thanks!!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that! You could try agave syrup in lieu of simple syrup?
I just found a recipe for cheesy taco shells and this drink would be the perfect combo on my next Taco Tuesday! Love it.
What a great idea to use Maldon salt- even though it’s December- going to have to try this recipe soon!
This looks really yummy! I love the sound of peppers and ginger beer, extra spicy!
Love this! I have habanero infused vodka on hand for bloody marys and it is amazing!
i had a fair share of margarita this weekend but i could totally drink this one as well..
yummm! sounds super refreshing with a mighty kick from the peppers and ginger. do you have a square ice cube tray? i hear those ice cubes melt slower = less water drinks :)
I do have square ice cube trays, both small and big. I’ve heard bigger cubes melt slower which is good for slow-sipping drinks on the rocks, but I went with the smaller cubes for this drink. I’ll be honest though, it was so good the ice barely got the chance to melt before it was gone. :)
Oh my. These look amazing! I’ve never had a habanero margarita but I’m loving the ginger beer twist on it. Will definitely be trying this one!