Spicy Mango Sherbet Float | A 2 Ingredient Summer Cocktail with Mouthwatering Chamoy

I’ve made a lot of cocktails this summer, but this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float really feels like the essence of summer contained in a champagne glass.

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I don’t know what summer feels like for you, but here in central Texas it. is. hot. I’m talking four-consequtive-days-over-100 hot. I’m having to plan my meals around recipes that don’t require the oven because our poor air conditioner just can’t hang.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of cool drinks around here. During the day, I’m drinking sparkling water with muddled fruit. When night rolls around (and it’s still 100 degrees), I’m on the search for something refreshing and a little boozy.

Emphasis on “little”. If you’re like me, you prefer drinks with lower ABV on hot days. And that’s where this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float comes in.

But before I talk about the recipe, let’s talk about the word sherbet. Since childhood, I’ve pronounced this word as “sher-bert”. I remember giving a middle school friend a hard time for calling it “sher-bit”. But he rocked my world when he pointed out that there is no ‘r’ in the word.

Since then, I’ve had several conversations over the years about to pronounce this dang word. I’ve only met a couple of people who pronounce it without the ‘r’. Most people say “sher-bert”. But then I think about the word “sorbet” and we all pronounce this word the same French-y way: “sore-bay”. So… why don’t we pronounce it “sher-bay”? Why is English weird?

I’m not a big champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine drinker so I prefer to keep the mini bottles on hand. That way, I don’t waste a whole bottle of champagne since I won’t be able to drink it all before it goes bad. Opt for brut champagne since the sherbet will already be pretty sweet. And since you’re going to be mixing the champagne with a strong flavor, there’s no need to use the nice stuff. Save that for a special occasion and buy cheapie champagne for this recipe.

Originally I made some mango liqueur to go with this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float but it ended up tasting a little too heavy for what I was wanting. I may use that mango liqueur in another recipe in the future. If you want to up the ABV, feel free to add 1/2 to 1 oz of a fruit liqueur. Mango is an obvious choice but orange liqueur or even limoncello would be nice, too.

If you don’t want any alcohol, you can easily make this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float a mocktail by using Sprite or sparkling water in place of the champagne. You could even add a splash of mango juice, too.

Whether you choose to make this float a little boozy, extra boozy, or alcohol-free, this cocktail will pack some sweet heat.

The star of this sherbet float is definitely the mango chamoy sherbet made by H-E-B, a grocery store chain in Texas. If you’re not familiar with chamoy, it’s sweet, sour, savory, & spicy perfection. It can be found in sauce form, candy form, or as a coating on dried or fresh fruit. Walk down any street in Mexico and you’ll find a wide range of street food vendors selling something flavored with chamoy. Sometimes chamoy’s got quite a kick to it. Othertimes, it’s not spicy at all. If you want to learn more about this unique flavor, check out this article.

If you can’t find mango chamoy sherbet, you can use plain mango sherbet and add in a dash or two of chamoy, tajin, or chili powder. Can’t find plain mango sherbet either? Just follow the outline of this recipe and sub in your preferred flavor of sherbet. A raspberry sherbet float would be reeeeally good.

If you love a cocktail with some sweet heat, check out my Spicy Basil Margarita and Cero Miedo. The Cero Miedo is one of my favorite creations to date. So. Good.

If you make a Spicy Mango Sherbet Float, or some variation of it, make sure to tag me on Instagram!

And please, let me know in the comments how you pronounce the word “sherbet”. 😜

Ingredients for a Spicy Mango Sherbet Float

• 2-3 scoops of mango chamoy sherbet*
• 3-5 oz brut champagne, prosecco, sparkling wine OR make it alcohol-free and use sparkling water or Sprite
• optional– mango liqueur

How to Make a Spicy Mango Sherbet Float

Add your scoop of mango chamoy sherbet to a glass. Slowly pour in the champagne. You may need to pour it in an ounce or two at a time to prevent the bubbles from taking over. Garnish with a slice of chili-dipped mango.