5 Chili Cocktails that will Spice Things Up!

1. 5 Chili Cocktails that will Spice Things Up!

2. You can’t deny the zing that a spiced up cocktail can give on an evening out. We give 5 recipes which you can recreate at home too! • By: Soumya Jain • There are times when you want to spiff up a legendary cocktail and just relax at home. It’s a weekday, and you don’t have time to head out, or even indulge in an evening full of homemade cocktails. You need that one cocktail that will satisfy that craving. Well, here’s a list of 5 spicy cocktails that will surely spice up that evening at home! • HABANERO PISCO SOUR: The Habanero is balanced with the egg, but that doesn’t mean this cocktail doesn’t have kick!

3. Ingredients (For 1 serving) 2 oz. Pisco 1 oz. lime juice 1 oz. habanero infused simple syrup 1 egg white Ice Angostura bitters Preparation Mix the Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a shaker. Add ice and shake for 1 minute to create a thick egg white foam. Serve strained in a coupe, and garnish with 3 drops of Angostura bitters.

4. Notes • To make the habanero infused simple syrup, slice 2 habanero peppers in quarters lengthwise, remove the stem, seeds, and veins, then add the quarters to a saucepan with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring the mixture to a slow boil, stir, and simmer until the sugar dissolves completely. Strain into a mason jar and let the habanero infused simple syrup cool before using. • (Source: Piscotrail.com) • THIS SPICY BOURBON DRINK: Yes, bourbon cocktails can be spicy and smooth at the same time. And so can rum. Which reminds us, if you want to a rum-based spicy cocktail, then AER Mumbai can do the honors. Try AER Mumbai’s ‘Moksha’ cocktail, which is a well-blended fusion of spiced Captain Morgan, yellow chartreuse and Dom Benedictine. Oh, but we forget, you want something that can be made at home! So there you go:

5. Ingredients (For 1 serving) 2 ounces bourbon ½ ounce Cherry Heering liqueur ½ ounce Meyer lemon juice, plus Meyer lemon twist for serving 2 teaspoons Thai Chile Honey A few dashes orange or angostura bitters Preparation Combine bourbon, liqueur, Meyer lemon juice, and honey in a cocktail shaker; fill shaker with ice. Shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, top with bitters, and garnish with lemon twist. Notes To make Thai Chile Honey, combine honey, thinly sliced Thai chile, and 1 tbsp. hot water in a small jar, cover, and shake to combine. Let stand at least 3 hours and up to 2 days (Honey will get hotter as it sits. Refrigerate if holding for longer than 3 hours). Strain before using. (Source: Bonappetit.com)

6. STRAWBERRY-PINEAPPLE HOTNESS: Ever tried Pineapple-Jalapeno pizza? Well, it’s the same concept, except this drink is as refreshing as spicy! • Ingredients (For 1 serving) • 2 strawberries, hulled, halved • 2 teaspoons sugar • 2 ounces vodka • 2 ounces pineapple juice • ½ teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce • Pineapple slice (for serving) • Preparation • Muddle strawberries and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, pineapple juice, and adobo sauce; fill shaker with ice. Shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with pineapple slice. • (Source: Bonappetit.com)

7. SPICY BITTER MICHELADAS: Now this one reminded us of the spicy Bloody Mary we had at InterContinental San Juan. The hotel’s Q Bar knew how to make potent stuff. You talk about tomatoes and peppers in one breath and InterContinental San Juan quickly jumps to my mind! But this one is no less zesty. • Ingredients (For 2 servings) • 1 pepper (use any kind - for a milder flavor, go with anaheim or poblano, but feel free to use spicier varieties like cayenne or jalapeño) • Approx 1 cup of vodka • 3 kumoto tomatoes • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire • Dash of Tabasco • Dash of celery bitters • 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt + more for rimming the glass • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt + more for rimming the glass • Juice of 1 lemon

8. 1 light beer (e.g. Corona) Cucumber spears for garnish Notes Rinse and clean your pepper, and split lengthwise. Add to a clean mason jar, and add the vodka to cover. Let the vodka steep overnight, maximum 2 days, and then remove the chile. Preparation In a small blender or chopper, puree the tomatoes with the Worcestershire, Tabasco, celery bitters, celery salt, kosher salt and lemon juice. Rim your glass by rubbing the rim with the cut leftover lemon, and then dredging in a plate with a little salt+celery salt. Split the tomato mixture evenly between two glasses. Top each glass with a light beer. Stir gently and add a large ice cube to each glass. Garnish each glass with a cucumber spear. (Source: feedmedearly.com)

9. GHOST PEPPER COCKTAIL: Ghost pepper, a.k.a. Bhut Jolokia, has been used to create this recipe. If you don’t know, then we want to give you a fair warning – bhut jolokia is one of the hottest peppers in the world. So if you are feeling adventurous, try this at home. • Ingredients (For 1 serving) • 2 oz. of honey whiskey (Evan Williams and Seagrams work great) • 1.5 ounces of simple syrup • .5 ounces of lemon juice • 1 dried (and smoked) whole Bhut Jolokia, split down the middle

10. Preparation Put the simple syrup, lemon juice and Bhut Jolokia in a glass. Refrigerate and let sit for at least 24 hours. Pour contents into a shaker with the 2 ounces of a honey whiskey. Shake and strain into a glass on the rocks. Source: Scottrobertsweb.com