spicy coconut margarita

Coconut de Mayo!

Quite a busy weekend in the world of random happenings. First, the Kentucky Derby Saturday, then Cinco de Mayo on Sunday. And the Wings for Life World Run, in which I’m participating on Sunday. Very excite. Much occur.

So, I needed to usher forth another nice cocktail for you to try for the occasion. I mix margaritas and palomas quite frequently at home, for the hell of it, and even though I generally have a penchant for bourbon, I think tequila-based drinks dominate FMG. I like them for their ease of drinking, really. I also have at least 5 bottles of tequila on the liquor cart, so gotta use ’em somehow, right?

This simple, luscious sip is a necessity on your Cinco spread. Balanced and zesty, with a little kick thanks to a few jalapeno slices shaken into the booze and a little richness from coconut cream. Everything you could need in a weekend cocktail, methinks.

Put the Lime in the Coconut

And the tequila and the orange liqueur and the jalapeno…and THEN you’ll feel better.

No fancy method here, but a couple little tips to keep in mind:

First…Coconut cream is essential. I buy a can of straight-up coconut cream from Target, but if you only have a can of coconut milk on hand (not the carton, that shit sucks), put it in the fridge overnight to separate the cream from the water. You need a high fat content for it to mix properly with alcohol, otherwise the drink will curdle and look weird.

Second…If you want a mightier kick of heat, use a serrano pepper instead of a jalapeno. Hey, some like it spicy.

Now, to make a cocktail!

I love a tajin rim on my drink, so start there. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of tajin on a shallow plate. Run a lime wedge around your choice glass, then dunk into the tajin and swirl around a bit to coat.

Grab a cocktail shaker. Measure in your tequila (I prefer silver here to a reposado or anejo to preserve the white color. Or lack of color. Whatever), coconut cream, Cointreau (or any orange liqueur), lime juice, agave, and a few jalapeno slices.

Shake up with ice and strain – or just pour, up to you – into your glass. Fill your glass with ice, top with a few more jalapeno slices, and you’re good as gold.

One last note: make sure you scream TEQUILA! as loud as you can when toasting. One of those unwritten rules.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Margaritaville:

Italian Strawberry Basil Margarita

Limoncello Margarita

Elderflower Margarita

Smoky Pineapple Margarita

Spicy Gingered Guava Margarita

spicy coconut maragrita

Creamy with a kick for your Cinco needs.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Course Cocktail, Drinks

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  

• 2 oz silver tequila
• 1 oz coconut cream
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1-2 tsp agave (use to taste)
• 2-3 jalapeno slices
• tajin, to rim

Instructions

 

• Sprinkle tajin onto a shallow plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass, then dip and swirl into the tajin to coat.
• In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, coconut cream, Cointreau, lime juice, agave, and jalapeno slices. Fill with ice and shake until cold. Pour into the prepared cocktail glass and top off with extra ice. Garnish with extra jalapeno slices, as desired.

Notes

*To kick up the heat: Use a serrano pepper instead of a jalapeno!

*Coconut cream: I bought a can of straight-up coconut cream, but if you only have a can of coconut milk around, pop it in the fridge overnight. This will allow the cream to separate from the water so it’s more easily accessed. 

Keyword cinco de mayo, cocktail, coconut, drinks, jalapeño, margarita, spring, tequila