Spicy-Spicy-Spicy Skinny Margarita

say it 3x fast

Why add sugar to a margarita when you don’t need to? Furthermore, why exacerbate the negative effects of drinking more than absolutely necessary??? If we’re going to be hungover, we might as well avoid the sugar crash, subsequent cravings, and extra calories (of the kind we don’t want). I would prefer to optimize my tequila experience—*if* I can many an equally delicious cocktail.

I’m certainly not suggesting an unsweetened margarita. When you ask a restaurant for “skinny”, you’re basically just asking them not to make it horrifyingly sweet. When I say “skinny” here, I mean there is zero added sugar. In place of simple syrup/triple sec/agave, I use…

Either Wholesome Yum or Lakanto. Both are 1:1 for a classic simple syrup. You can also make your own if your local grocery store doesn’t carry this product or you don’t have time to order it online, which I’ll explain below.

I provide the recipe for a single drink and for a pitcher, which uses a whole bottle of tequila. Can be prepped ahead and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

When I order at a restaurant, I ask for a spicy-spicy-spicy skinny margarita. Annoying, but gets the message across. Hence what we’re calling this. Of course, restaurants don’t offer sugar-free sweeteners like monk fruit (yet), so it’s best to make margaritas at home when you can. If ordering one out, ask for your favorite tequila with lots of lime juice and a tajin or salt rim, or just an unsweetened margarita. If you’re really extra, sneak in a drop of liquid stevia or monk fruit from your purse.

INGREDIENTS (1 drink):

• 2 oz blanco tequila or mezcal

• 3/4 oz fresh squeezed lime juice, or Italian Volcano Lime Juice — any other bottled lime I do not recommend

• 1/2 - 3/4 oz sugar-free simple syrup (depending on your desired sweetness) — I use Wholesome Yum or Lakanto

• 1/4 jalapeño, sliced and mostly seeded — start small and add more if needed—can easily cross the line into too spicy when making a single drink

• lots of good ice

• Optional rim: tajin or jennifer fisher spicy salt, lime wedges

STEPS:

1. Prep glass by rubbing fresh lime wedge along the rim, the dipping glass in tajin or spicy salt. Add lots of ice (imo, nothing worse than a marg without enough ice).

2. Add ingredients to shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and for longer than you think for a frostier drink.

3. Pour into glass over ice and serve.

INGREDIENTS (batch, ~12 drinks):

• 1 bottle (750ml) blanco tequila or mezcal

• 12 oz fresh squeezed lime juice, or Italian Volcano Lime — I do not recommend any other bottled lime juice

• 8-9 oz sugar-free simple syrup — I use Wholesome Yum or Lakanto

• 1-2 jalapeños, sliced and mostly seeded (optional)

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STEPS:

1. Prep lime juice a day or two in advance, if possible, and store in a mason jar in the fridge.

2. Add all ingredients to a pitcher, excluding the jalapeño. Start with less simple syrup and add more to taste. Do NOT add ice. Chill the pitcher, minus jalapeño, in the fridge.

3. An hour-ish before serving, add sliced jalapeño and muddle in the pitcher with a wooden spoon, making sure to press it against the sizes to extract the spice. Test a few minutes later to ensure spice level is right.

4. Prep station before guests arrive by putting out glasses, two small flat dishes with tajin and spicy salt for dipping, and lime wedges. Rub lime on the rims just before people arrive.

5. ON ICE—I always take issue with mediocre ice situations, i.e. watery ice in bowls or sub-par ice buckets that require refilling when the freezer is 5 feet away. I appreciate the conundrum, but I require extremely dry and frosty ice, and I think it can make or break a margarita situation if this is not the case. But if you’re able to set up the drink station next to a freezer that doesn’t get in the way of anyone working in the kitchen and isn’t too far from where the group is gathered, do this!!!! If not, invest in a really truly amazing ice bucket or small Yeti.

FOR BEST RESULTS, PAIR WITH TACOS.

Homemade Sugar-Free Simple Syrup:

1. Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup Lakanto Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, and a pinch of xanthan gum in a pot over the stove. The gum helps to prevent crystallization.

2. Gently heat the mixture (not to a full boil) and stir continuously until the monk fruit is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool completely. Don’t put it in the fridge as this can cause crystallization.