It’s summer cocktail season and that means it’s time for true refreshing sippers. That means light, bright, and full of delight. Enter the spicy cucumber margarita — better known as the El Pepino. And trust me, it’s an extra delicious tequila drink for when the weather is hot.
This drink goes back to the early 2010s and maybe the late 2000s. It’s a modern classic that combines, cucumber, lime, a dash of sweetness, triple sec, fresh jalapeno, a little salt, and plenty of blanco tequila. While that all sounds like a lot, it’s really not too hard to make at all. Moreover, the cucumber adds this light and refreshing vibe that really amps up the sipability right now. The combo of chili spice and soft cucumber feels like it’s cooling you down with each sip. Who doesn’t want that?
Okay, let’s dive right in and get shaking!
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El Pepino
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. blanco tequila
- 0.5 oz. Cointreau
- 0.5 oz. lime juice
- 0.5 oz. cucumber juice
- 0.5 oz. simple syrup
- 1/2 slice of fresh jalapeno
- Ice
- Chili Salt for the rim
- Lime wheel
Start with a good blanco tequila for any margarita. I like Don Julio because I like shooting it too. It’s tasty and makes a great base for a solid marg. I like using Cointreau as the triple sec element but you can use any decent triple sec.
The juices are from Fresh Victor which makes some of the best fresh juice mixers for cocktails out there. It’s real juice without any bullshit. If you can’t find it, you can also use fresh wheels of cucumber in the shaker but it’ll be a little less “fresh” on the finish.
I tend never to use sugar syrups in my margs but the savoriness of the chili pepper and cucumber fruits tends to mute some of the sweeter notes a tad too much. So use a little sugar syrup but use it sparingly.
Lastly, you should be able to find chili salt rimmers from any decent liquor store in the mixer/garnish section.
What You’ll Need:
- Rocks glass
- Cocktail shaker
- Cocktail strainer
- Fine mesh strainer
- Jigger
- Pairing knife
Method:
- Add the tequila, juices, and Cointreau to a cocktail shaker with the fresh chili and a large handful of ice. Affix the lid and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds or until the shaker is ice-cold to touch.
- Wet the rim of the glass with the lime wheel and dip the glass into the chili salt and then add fresh ice to the rocks glass.
- Double-strain the cocktail into the glass, drop the lime wheel in the glass, and serve.
Bottom Line:
This is a refreshing AF cocktail. The savoriness of the cucumber just sneaks in with a big push of the chili pepper adding a sharp edge. Overall, this is going to cool you down quickly if you’re overheating in the sun this summer!
If you’re looking for a truly unique, fresh, and spicy marg to change things up this summer, this is the play. It’s super easy to make. You can find all the ingredients really easily. And it’s tasty with serious depth. You can’t beat it.
