hot honey peach margarita
The urge to cocktail rose up this weekend, so here we are with a sip. Accompaniment for Taco Tuesday? Yes please.
Interestingly – well, it’s interesting to me – I haven’t had a drink for about 3 weeks. Not to say I overindulge in adult beverages (I have a very healthy relationship with alcohol), but there is a social element to a cocktail when I’m out for lunch or dinner with a friend, especially when exploring a new place.
Perhaps it’s my current mindset, combined with my unusual palate, but I simply haven’t wanted to. Thus, my desire to develop cocktails has been on the fritz. In fact, I believe I’ve only posted two this whole year.
I was feeling in this week, though, especially because in my Sidebars I keep saying I’m going to share a spicy margarita of sorts…and I never did. I waited for the desire to arise, but it took until right about now to formulate and creep up to the forefront of my mind. So that, my dear dudes, is why we’re punching the week with a Hot Honey Peach Margarita.
Yes yes yes.
A little spicy and sassy, but plenty sweet, our friend tequila gets spiffed up with peach puree and homemade hot honey. It’s light and refreshing and a stellar end-of-July poolside imbibement. Fix one up when you’re feeling chill; the to-do is about as no fuss as you can get.
Peach Body
Most of my cocktails take about 5 minutes, unless we’re doing a simple syrup. I’d say this one takes closer to 8, but I have issues writing such a weird number in the “prep time” column of a recipe card. A quirk of mine I can’t seem to shake.
First, let’s puree some peaches. If using fresh, be sure they’re peeled and pitted – if you don’t peel them, you can always strain the floaty bits afterwards. Canned peaches are great also, and I recommend buying ones either in 100% juice or lightly sweetened water.
Chuck your peaches into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Easy peasy. The puree will yield more than you need for one drink, so if you’ve got a friend to host, you’ll have plenty to spare.
Next, make up some hot honey. I’ve been using this condiment a hell of a lot lately – in BBQ shrimp bowls, whipped ricotta, pomodoro pizza, and more – so I oft have a jar in my fridge at the ready.
To make the hot honey, combine honey, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powders, and a pinch of cayenne in a microwave-safe jar or bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir to dissolve the granules. Hot honey will keep well in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. It’s quite durable as far as expiration goes.
All that done and dusted, it’s time to mix. Combine some the puree with hot honey, tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Shake with ice, then pour into your prettiest cocktail glass (or Solo cups if you’re by the pool with a crowd. Don’t waste good dishes on a buncha bitches, you know?). Top with sparkling water – peach or mango flavored go amazingly with this drink! – add more ice, and garnish with sliced peachies and some basil leaves. Mint leaves are good too.
Take advantage of those summertime peaches, folks. I always go shitwild whenever stone fruit take over the produce aisle, and July/August are the ideal months for the sweetest yields. They’re just so beautiful. *Single tear falls down face.*
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Life’s a peach(y cocktail):
hot honey peach margarita
Ingredients
- 2 large peaches, peeled and pitted
- 2 oz tequila
- 1 tbsp hot honey (recipe below)
- 1/2 oz Cointreau (orange liqueur)
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- sparkling water, to top
- fresh peach slices and basil, for garnish
hot honey
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
Instructions
- Add the peeled peach to a food processor. Blitz until smooth. This will make more puree than you will need for one cocktail, so make ALL THE COCKTAILS!
- To make the hot honey: combine the honey, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat 1 minute on high. Stir to dissolve the granules.
- In a shaker, combine 2 oz peach puree, the tequila, hot honey, Cointreau, and lime juice. Fill with ice and shake until cold. Pour into your favorite cocktail glass and add more ice as needed. Top off with sparkling water. Garnish with peach slices and fresh basil, as desired.
