Tag: chili powder

champagne

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

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The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

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.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

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.

The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

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?

The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

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 Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

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”. ðŸ˜œ

The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

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.

Spicy Mango Sherbet Float

This cocktail packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 min
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 scoops mango chamoy sherbet*
  • 3-5 oz champagne/prosecco**
  • 1 dash tajín or chili powder (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Add the scoop of sherbet to a glass.
  • Slowly pour in the champagne.
  • Garnish with a mango sliced dipped in chili powder.

Notes

Want it extra spicy? Rim your glass with tajín or chili powder.
*If you can’t find mango chamoy sherbet, use mango sherbet and add a dash of chili powder.
**To make this a mocktail, you can use Sprite or sparkling water in place of sparkling wine.
 
Keyword chamoy, champagne, mango sherbet, sherbet, sparkling wine
tequila

Cero Miedo | A Sweet & Spicy Cocktail

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The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe named after the motto of AEW tag team Lucha Bros. It's made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

I’ve had the idea for this Cero Miedo cocktail for months now. The moment I thought of the idea to create an AEW cocktail series, I knew I wanted to create this drink. In case you didn’t bear witness to my confession in my Orange Cassidy post, I am an unashamed professional wrestling fan.

I *freakin’* love All Elite Wrestling. If you want to know why or how I got into professional wrestling, go check out that Orange Cassidy recipe. A lot has changed in these last several weeks (6? 7??) of COVID quarantine but AEW is STILL putting out LIVE content every week. Granted, they have no live audience which changes the dynamics of the matches, but it’s something I’m able to look forward to every week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are wrestling nights at our house.

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe named after the motto of AEW tag team Lucha Bros. It's made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

Now, about the name of this cocktail. Cero Miedo means “zero fear” in Spanish. This is the motto for the Lucha Bros, a tag team on the AEW roster. This tag team is made up of Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix and they *might* be my favorite tag team. I love Pentagon’s personality in the ring and Fenix is one of the most agile, athletic wrestlers in the league. They make a great tag team. Check out this highlight reel of their match against Private Party. The Lucha Bros are the ones in the masks. Watch for their signature “cero miedo” hand sign at the end of the clip:

Okay, now that I’ve told you about the drink name, it’s time to talk about the drink. I knew that for a drink based on the Lucha Bros, it needed to be spicy and a bit smoky. They are, after all, some of the “bad guys” in the league. And since they’re both from Mexico City, tequila and mezcal seemed a perfect base.

I’m sure you’re all familiar with tequila, but some of you might not know what mezcal is. Mezcal is a liquor that is distilled from any type of agave plant, while tequila is a liquor that’s distilled specifically from blue agave.

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe named after the motto of AEW tag team Lucha Bros. It's made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

Another distinction between mezcal and tequila is the cooking and distillation process. Tequila is usually steamed and mezcal is usually cooked in lava-rock-lined pits with charcoal and wood. Tequila is distilled in copper pots and mezcal is usually distilled in clay pots. As you can imagine, these different methods heavily influence the final products. Mezcal typically has a distinctive smoky, earthy flavor (thanks to those clay pots and earthen pits).

Both tequila and mezcal can be produced and aged differently so even within those categories, there is a lot of room for diversity. I’m no expert when it comes to either, so if you’re intrigued, I encourage you to go learn some more & report back to me.

To summarize, all tequila falls under the mezcal category. But not all mezcal is tequila. It’s kinda like the whiskey/bourbon thing. Bourbon is a type of whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbons. Ya follow?

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe made with tequila, Monte Albar mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, Mi HEB Tienda guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

I’ve found that in my area, mezcal can be hard to come by. Often times, the only mezcal available is the one seen in my pictures. It’s pretty infamous because it has a little dried worm inside. This is NOT the best mezcal brand out there and if you can find a different bottle of mezcal, grab that one. It’s not that this one is bad, but it’s probably not the best showcase of what mezcal has to offer.

Can’t find mezcal? You can definitely sub in extra tequila. Or try using 1 ounce of tequila blanco and 1 ounce of tequila reposado. You’ll miss out on the smokiness but the end result will still be delicious.

And if you’re wondering where to find guava nectar or guava juice, try looking in the international food or drink aisle at your grocery store. I got this can of guava nectar from H-E-B, a Texas grocery store chain. Or you can always turn to the ever-reliable Amazon.

You can find the jalapeño basil simple syrup recipe here.

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe made with tequila, Monte Albar mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, Mi HEB Tienda guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

And just in case you’re wondering what type of animal skulls these are, they’re a coyote and a deer. My winding country road sees its fair share of roadkill and anytime something gets hit close to my house, I’m equal parts sad and excited. Sad, because I love animals. But excited because that means I’ll get to look at all the cool bones once nature’s decomposers do their work.

I really love this sweet, spicy, and smoky Cero Miedo cocktail. I hope you do, too! If you take a crack at it, be sure to tag me on social media! (Instagram: girlandtonic_ Twitter: @girlandtonic or on Facebook. )

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. It's perfect for Cinco de Mayo and summer.

The Ingredients for a Cero Miedo

  • 1 oz tequila blanco
  • 1 oz mezcal
  • 3/4 oz guava nectar
  • 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 oz jalapeño basil simple syrup
  • 2-3 pinches of chili powder (DON’T SKIP THIS! I used Kashmiri chili powder but any will do)
  • splash of club soda
  • optional– a few slices of jalapeño for muddling

How to Make a Cero Miedo

Add all of the ingredients, except the club soda, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, 30-45 seconds. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Leave about an inch of room at the top so you can pour the club soda in. Guava nectar can be a little heavy so having the bubbles of the club soda lightens it a bit. Garnish with another dash of chili powder, a jalapeño slice, and a sprig of basil.

If you want your cocktail extra spicy, add a couple slices of jalapeño to the bottom of a cocktail shaker before anything else. Add the tequila and muddle with a muddler or a long spoon. Then add the remaining ingredients and follow the above instructions.

tequila

Spicy Basil Margarita | A Simple & Spicy Cocktail with Kashmiri Chili Powder

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Spicy Basil Margarita with Kashmiri Chili Powder is the best drink for summer. It's bright, refreshing, with a little kick to it. If you've never had a spicy cocktail before, give it a try.

This Spicy Basil Margarita is easy to make and perfect for summer. It’s finally warming up in central Texas (after an unseasonably cool spring) and that means Margarita season is beginning. Actually, I think it’s always Margarita season in the south. But whether you still have snow on the ground, like my friend Laura at We Galavant The Globe, or whether you’ve been sweating for weeks now, this Spicy Basil Margarita is sure to hit the spot.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

This is going to sound very un-Texan of me, but I have to be in the right mood for a Margarita. I’m always down for one at a Mexican restaurant or when lounging at a pool. But casually sipping on one in the living room? Never really had that craving. Until I was thinking about a way to utilize my new Kashmiri chili powder that my friend brought me back from South Africa. How could I utilize this exotic spice? Then I realized I have yet to post a Margarita recipe on Girl & Tonic so I knew I had to make a spicy Margarita recipe for sure.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product/service or sign up via my affiliate link, I would receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love and believe in.

If you don’t have Kashmiri chili powder, you can use tajin (yo, Texans- I know you have access to this) or regular chili powder. Kashmiri powder is used more commonly for its color than its heat, but it does have some heat to it and a really beautiful flavor. Its spiciness falls between mild paprika and fiery cayenne. I used 2 pinches in my Spicy Basil Margarita and then dusted some on top. You can also rim your glass with it. I opted for a swatch because it looks artsy. I got the Kashmiri chili powder to stay exactly where I wanted it by using agave syrup and then sprinkling dumping the chili powder over it.

Now, maybe the thought of a spicy cocktail is a new concept to you or maybe you’re already a fan. If you’re the former, I challenge you to try this Spicy Basil Margarita. It’s fresh and bright with a little kick to it. It’s not going to light your mouth on fire, I promise. (Well, not unless you’re a total spice wimp… I once knew a girl whose eyes watered when she put black pepper on her food. How..?) You can always taste as you go and add more to your liking. You might be surprised by how much you can actually handle.

Spicy food releases endorphins and dopamine, your “pleasure” and “reward” sensations, which is why you often can’t stop eating- or drinking- something spicy. Your mouth is feeling the burn, but your brain is translating the consumption of the spicy substance as a rewarding experience, so you are compelled to consume more. Your Brain on Capsaicin is an in-depth science-y article that goes into more detail about the science behind spicy foods. In fact, I was today years old when I found out that we don’t actually have tastebuds associated with “spiciness”. Yeah. You should read that article.

While we’re talking about food science, let’s chat about adding sweeteners to spicy Margaritas. This may sound crazy, but adding agave or simple syrup into a spicy Margarita doesn’t make it sweeter– it actually makes it taste spicier. Yeah. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s true and there’s science to prove it. Jess Dang wrote an informative article called A Study of Flavor Profiles. If you don’t have time to read the article, check out this helpful infographic from it:

Spicy and sweet flavors bring balance to one another and create a more dynamic flavor. Then take into account that this Spicy Basil Margarita also has the sour flavor going on with the lime juice. Wow. Talk about flavor dynamics.

Honestly, when I first made this cocktail, I only put a splash of agave in. I didn’t want it to be too sweet, after all. I tasted it. Good. I took some photos. I added more Kashmiri chili powder. Tasted again, and yet it didn’t taste much spicier. Then I remembered reading the aforementioned article a few days ago and doubled the amount of agave. Tasted again. BOOM. Instantly spicier and richer.

If for no other reason, make this cocktail as a science experiment and see if me and Jess Dang are right. Or leave out the chili powder & basil and enjoy a classic Margarita.

Ingredients for a Spicy Basil Margarita

  • 1 1/2 oz tequila (blanco is traditionally used for Margs but you can certainly use reposado)
  • 1 oz triple sec/orange liqueur
  • 3/4 oz fresh lime juice (freshly-squeezed makes all the difference)
  • 1/3 oz agave nectar (or simple syrup)
  • small handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Kashmiri chili powder (or other chili powder)

How To Make a Spicy Basil Margarita

For rimming your glass: Rub a juicy lime wedge around the top rim of a glass.  Fill a place or shallow bowl with either chili powder, salt, or a combination of the two. Dip the rim in the spice. Fill with ice.

Add the tequila and basil leaves to an empty cocktail shaker. Using a muddle or the back of a spoon, muddle the basil leaves until they’re bruised. Then add ice, orange liqueur, lime juice, agave, and 1-2 pinches of chili powder to the cocktail shaker. Shake well. Taste and see if you want more spice. Strain into your Margarita glass (or a lowball glass or a Solo cup or a mug for all I care). I’m partial to my super cute cactus Margarita glasses that I THOUGHT were a vintage at a thrift store but joke’s on me ’cause they’re from Dollar Tree. There are some really similar ones on Amazon, too.