spicy gingered guava margarita
Obtuse, rubber goose, green moose, guava juice.
A song you’re likely to sing after one too many a Spicy Gingered Guava Margarita. Cos you very well might want more than a single drink.
I did not watch Fairly Oddparents as a kid at all, but for some reason I recall that song occasionally at random moments where I’m thinking about anything but Nickelodeon – not that I ever think about Nickelodeon, honestly, unless I say or write “guava” somewhere. And I don’t say or write guava very often. So I guess I barely ever think about Nickelodeon.
Now I’m going to have you think incessantly about Nickelodeon.
You know, I didn’t even spectate any Nickelodeon show growing up. I was more a Disney gal, and remember many viewings of Steamboat Willie for some reason. The Proud Family, Rollie Pollie Ollie, Bear in the Big Blue House, Out of the Box, that was my shit. Wouldn’t have called it “my shit” at such a tender age. I learned the Foul Mouth Ways much later in life.
Now I want to know what your shit was as a kid when it comes to cartoons? How fitting we discuss this on a Saturday, when early morning toons was the highlight of many a child’s week.
The Floor is Guava
Hokay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, let’s talk guava. The guava is a fruit that grows in South America, kinda looks like a fig, and my most familiar encounter is in Cuban cuisine. Here in Tampa we’ve a few prolific Cuban bakeries that offer guava cheese pastries (like Danishes in style), and guava nectar and preserves are pretty easy to access in local grocery stores.
To be wholly honest, I don’t love guava pastries in general, but the juice is pretty nice. Very sweet, with a touch of flavor I can’t quite attribute to any other type of juice. I tell ya hwhat, it works perfectly in a pretty little Saturday evening cocktail, shaken up with a spicy jalapeño and capped off with a splash of ginger beer. Yes.
Directions are simple, as with most of my drinks. I like to rim the cocktail in a bit of chili salt for a pretty sparkle. Then, shake or stir together lime, orange liqueur, guava nectar, tequila, agave, and that jalapeño. The more you shake, the spicier the drink gets. I like to keep it around 10-12 firm shakes unless I get carried away and just keep going, which happens.
Pour it into a glass, top with some ginger beer and fresh mint, and drink it up. But don’t drive.
A quick note on guava nectar: some brands mix guava with other juices to obtain that lovely pink hue, while some sell a pure form which is a pale yellow. One trick I found effective is adding a small capful of watermelon juice or strawberry puree into the drink if you find yourself with the blander color. Doesn’t impact the taste, and gives it that nice aesthetic. Just a tiny bit is all you need.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Summer sips to jump on:
spicy gingered guava margarita
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 jalapeno, sliced (deseeded if desired)
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz orange liqueur
- 3 oz guava nectar
- 2 oz tequila
- 2-3 tsp agave, or to taste
- ginger beer to top
Instructions
- For the chili salt rim, toss the salt and chili powder on a shallow plate. Run a lime wedge around a cocktail glass, then dip and swirl into the salt mixture. Shake off excess.
- In a shaker, combine the jalapeno, lime juice, orange liqueur, guava nectar, tequila, and agave. Add ice and shake until cold – the more you shake, the spicier your cocktail will be from the pepper. Pour into the prepared cocktail glass. Top with a splash of ginger beer and garnish with fresh mint leaves, as desired.
