Eating, Food, Spirits

Dank Summer Cocktails – Hot Melons Margarita

Maybe it’s because of the weather, but the Gourmand household has been mixing up more cocktails than normal this summer.  We’re typically a beer and wine family.  If liquor is involved, we trend simple with a vodka tonic or scotch on the rocks.  But with all the downtime of “Gee it’s raining for the third f-ing time today” this summer, we’ve found ourselves becoming a bit more creative with our liquor cabinet and some of the fresh ingredients summer has delivered.  In the boredom between showers we’ve been inventing and recreating cocktails tried elsewhere.  This series is an offering of what we’ve been concocting.  Try one out and let us know what you think!  Made an improvement?  Let us know that, too!

Hot Melons Margarita - Another Dank Summer Cocktail

Hot Melons Margarita – Another Dank Summer Cocktail

The Story

“Dude!”  You might be wondering.  “The summer’s over.  It’s September.  What’s with another Dank Summer Cocktail post?”

As long as watermelons keep arriving in my weekly CSA box and our jalapeno plant is bursting with peppers, then it’s still summer.  Besides, what can be better than kickass recipe of jalapeno infused tequila and ripe watermelon?

We can thank Mrs. G. for this genius of a cocktail.  It’s sweet.  It’s spicy.  It’s fresh.  It’s oddly quenching.  But above all, it’s bold.

The Drink

A bit of warning, several days are needed to properly infuse the tequila with jalapenos.  The result is well worth the wait.

And don’t worry, jalapeno spiked tequila has many applications from regular margaritas to a great gag shot when the Drunken Bailey has had one too many and is getting mouthy.  Nothing shuts someone up more than a hot shot of peppery tequila while you’re shooting smooth Don Julio.

Ingredients:

  • 4 jalapenos cored and seeded
  • A fifth of silver tequila (We prefer Milagro – a lot of bang for the buck)
  • Watermelon
  • Triple Sec

Ware:

  • Extra bottle for infusion (Ikea has some great options)
  • Mesh strainer
  • Pitcher
  • Funnel
  • Food processor
  • Shaker
Melons for the Hot Melons Margarita

Melons for the Hot Melons Margarita

Assembly:

  • Slice up the jalapenos.
  • Insert jalapenos into the spare bottle.
  • Store in a cool, dark spot shaking every 12 hours.  Taste every 24 to determine your level of heat and pepper flavor.  (We left the jalapenos in there for 3 days.  But all jalapenos are different and so our taste buds.  We were using home grown jalapenos and prefer things on the hot side.)
  • Strain the tequila into an empty pitcher.
  • Rinse out empty bottle of sliced jalapeno particles.
  • Pour tequila back through the strainer into the original bottle.  Your Jalapeno infused tequila is done.  Now onto the drink…
  • Run 4 cups of watermelon through a food process on puree.
  • Strain pulp out of watermelon puree.  (Trust me, that grime feels gross on your teeth)
  • Add ice, watermelon puree, jalapeno spiked tequila, and a splash of triple sec to the shaker.  For portions, it’s really up to you on strength of the alcohol and strength of the heat from the tequila.  We mix one part tequila and two parts watermelon.  You can do more if you have the balls or less if you don’t.
  • Shake ingredients.
  • Serve in martini glasses or over ice in a any old glass you have
The Drunken Bailey

The Drunken Bailey