Spicy Cocktail Recipes

Slofoodgroup Team February 18, 2023

Cocktails with a spicy kick are becoming increasingly popular in upscale bars and restaurants across the country, but there’s no reason you have to go out to awaken your tastebuds with a spicy craft cocktail. 

When most people think of an alcohol-containing spicy beverage, their minds drift to weekend mornings and a classic hangover “cure”, the Bloody Mary, but there are so many more that can be enhanced with a little bit of chile spice. Some of the more common beverages that have been given a bit of creative heat are margaritas, mojitos, and martinis. We didn’t want to simply replicate what has already been created, though, so we’ve concocted 3 of our own spicy cocktails that we know you are going to love. 

Incredible Spicy Cocktails to Turn Up The Heat on Your Weekend

Chipotle Old and Smokey

Ingredients

For the honey simple syrup:

• 1 cup honey
• ¾  cups water

For the cocktail: 

• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 pinch of chipotle chile powder
• 1 ounce honey simple syrup
• 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
• 1 pinch of mandarin orange zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed juice of a mandarin orange
• Bourbon-soaked cherries or mandarin twist for garnish

Procedure

1. First, make your simple syrup. Heat the water until it reaches a gentle simmer. Add in the honey and stir until dissolved. Continue heating over simmer for 15 minutes, or until it coats the back of your spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool
2. Into a shaker mix the chipotle powder, bourbon, and mandarin zest.
3. Vigorously shake to incorporate the powdered ingredients.
4. Place few ice cubes in a rocks glass and pour in your simple syrup and bitters; gently stir. 
5. Pour the bourbon mixture over the ice and gently stir one more time. 
6. Garnish with cherries and a mandarin twist. 

Strawberry Habanero Sweet and Spicy

Ingredients

• 1 pinch habanero chile powder
• 2 ounces vodka
• ½ cup pureed strawberries
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• Lime flavored seltzer water to fill

Procedure

1. Mix together your habanero chile powder, lime juice,  and pureed strawberries. 
2. Shake with vodka. 
3. Add ice to a glass and pour the strawberry mixture over the ice. 
4. Fill with lime-flavored seltzer water and garnish with a lime or strawberry. 

The Hot & Very Dirty Gin ‘Tini

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon pasilla chile powder
• 2 ounces gin
• ½ ounce dry vermouth
• 1 ounce Castlevatrano olive brine
• Olives to garnish

Procedure

1. Fill a martini glass with  ice and water and let sit to chill while you make your cocktail 
2. Fill a shaker with ice and add the gin, vermouth, pasilla powder, and olive brine. 
3. Shake vigorously. 
4. Pour the ice water out of the martini glass and replace it with the martini. Give a light sprinkle of pasilla powder and garnish with olives. 

Love spicy martinis? Here’s another one we love.