Hand Melon Farm Margaritas

Made from the best cantaloupes I’ve ever had from the Hand Melon Farm, these margaritas have a great balance of spiciness and sweetness. The spicy margarita is a great summer drink that allows you to take full advantage of summer’s sweet fruit. My first introduction to the spicy Margarita was at Jose Malone’s in Troy, New York which offers inspired Mexican food by fusing it, strangely enough, with an Irish twist. Go there for the Corn Beef & Cabbage Quesadillas and the Habañero Watermelon Margaritas.

You can make these Habañero Melon Margaritas with any sweet, sugary fruit juice; watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew, or peach juice for example. Anything that can stand up to the strength of the Habañero, one of the world’s hottest peppers.

Step 1: Infusing Tequila
Habañero peppers are extremely potent, so be careful when you handle them and wash your hands often.

1 750ml bottle of tequila
1 Small habañero pepper

Cut the pepper in half and put it inside the bottle. After 6 hours the tequila will be spicy, and will become hot as time passes. If you want to infuse less than a whole bottle, put only a few slices in. You can experiment with different kinds of peppers as well. This infusion has a jalapeño in it to add another level of heat.

Step 2: The Margarita
makes 1 large or 2 small margaritas

6 oz Cantaloupe juice
1.5 oz Habañero tequila
Juice of 1/2 lime
A jigger of triple sec
1 tsp of sugar if necessary

I used a juicer to make my cantaloupe juice. This is the best method because it efficiently separates the pulp from the juice. Use a very ripe melon. You can also use a food processor and then strain the juice through a fine sieve.

Mix all liquids together in a glass with ice. Add sugar if necessary. Frost your glasses with sugar: wet the edges of your serving glasses and roll the edges on a sugared plate. Pour mixture into a jigger and shake gently. Strain into serving glasses.

This Recipe is from The Chef Republic