I mentioned on a previous post that I took a cocktail making class with my Canadian friends for six weeks online through George Brown University. During this class we made a series of drinks, but the final class we had to come up with our own signature concoction, something that really tasted good and would drink on a regular basis. Tequila has always been my alcohol of choice, right behind a good glass of wine, so I grabbed my bottle of reposado and started from there.
Reposado has a slight smokiness because of its aging, but that wasn’t unique enough for me to create my own specialty drink, so I added a handful of fresh strawberries that I picked from my yard and plopped them into a mason jar and then filled it up with tequila. I got the idea from the professor, after she told us a story about her friend that just happen to infuse her tequila with strawberries, but I wanted to take my drink even further, so after a few days of infusion with just strawberries, I added some slices of fresh jalapeno to the reposado, for a gentle kick.
Over the course of several days, the tequila became a deep pink hue, and I was thrilled to begin making my signature creation. An egg white added to my special margarita was always part of my plan because I love the way it incorporates texture in a creamy fashion, without spoiling the other flavor components. A little crushed mint gave it a bit of essence that also captured my attention, and smoothed out the spicy notes of the jalapeno. I must say, it turned out to be one amazing drink and if you’re a margarita lover like me, it’s time to start infusing your tequila with strawberries for the summer.
Ingredients
8 ounce Reposado tequila
1/2 cup small whole strawberries
4 slices jalapenos with seeds
juice of 1 lime
2 egg whites
1 ounce simple syrup
5 mint leaves + more for garnish
kosher salt for rim
(Makes 2 Cocktails)
To Prepare:
- Add strawberries to a mason jar with fitted lid and fill with reposado tequila. Let hang out on countertop for several days, at least 2 days.
- Add slices of jalapeno to tequila and wait at least 1 day before preparing margaritas.
- Rub lime around rim of glasses and add salt to a plate. Place glasses upside down into salt to cover rim, invert. Strain tequila over a cocktail shaker. Add lime juice, egg whites, simple syrup and torn mint leaves, shake dry with no ice for 1 minute.
- Add ice to shaker and shake, shake, shake until cold and frothy.
- Place 1 large cube of ice or several smaller cubes of ice into two glasses. Strain margaritas over ice. Place one jalapeno slice from jar and a few mint leaves on top of each glass. Serve cold. Enjoy!
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