Peach + Serrano Margaritas

In case there was any question about it, I'm actually in love with tequila. We're married. I know, congratulations. Thanks. This is a picture of our newborn child.

Tequila just has this amazingly bright and refreshing quality about it, either by itself or in cocktails, that does a lot of good for my otherwise morose demeanor. I honestly might fear for my mental health if tequila didn't exist. Is this a healthy marriage? Unclear. 

For anyone who has ever loved spicy peach salsa so much that they wished they could drink it, this cocktail might be an option that doesn't get you asked to leave the party. The syrup doesn't require any heat to make, so that fresh peach taste is still very much intact. Because, I don't know, cooked peaches aren’t heinous or anything, but there’s a clearly a difference in flavor, and summer calls for fresh peaches! Everyone knows there's nothing better than a sweet, plump peach.

You  have a lot of control over the drink's spiciness level when you muddle the sliced pepper. If you don't like too much spice in your life, leave the pepper out entirely, or if you want to die, you could use a whole pepper. I have a pretty high heat tolerance, and the third of a pepper this recipe calls for was at the threshold of casual enjoyment for me. More than that would bring me into the "chilling but my mouth could use some help" zone, quickly followed by "mmk let's put this down," and then "DEAR GOD WHY."

 

Peach + Serrano Margaritas

Makes 1

  • 1/3 serrano pepper, sliced

  • .75 oz peach & serrano syrup (recipe below)

  • 0.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

  • 0.5 oz Cointreau (or triple sec)

  • 2 oz. blanco tequila

  • 1 lime wedge

  • sugar, for the rim of the glass

  1. Rub the lime wedge around one half of the rim of the serving glass (double rocks glass if serving on the rocks, coupe glass if serving up) to wet the outside.

  2. Spin the glasses in the sugar to give it a nice rim. Use a napkin to wipe off any excess or any that has gotten in the inside of the glass.

  3. Add sliced pepper and peach-serrano syrup to a shaking tin. Muddle together.

  4. Add lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila. Add ice and shake.

  5. Double strain into the sugar rimmed double rocks glass over fresh ice if serving on the rocks, or into a sugar rimmed coupe glass if serving up.

Peach Serrano Syrup

Makes about 1.5 cups, enough for about 16 cocktails.

  • 1 cup pitted and chopped peaches, skin on

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced

  1. Combine the peaches and peppers in a bowl. Pulverize with a muddler to release some of the juices.

  2. Add sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved into the peach juice. This may require some additional mashing in the bowl to smooth everything out as much as possible.

  3. Let sit, refrigerated, for three hours or up to one day (the longer it sits, the spicier it will be).

  4. Strain out the solid chunks and store, refrigerated, up to one week.

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