Why turn up the heat anywhere else when you can do so in your beloved cocktails? And what better way to do so than adding a kick of chilli in your cocktails! These peppers are already a loved ingredient in Indian kitchens, so integrating them into your cocktails shouldn’t be much of a hassle. If you don’t know how you can do so, you’ve arrived at the right place!
5 Ways To Use Chillies In Your Cocktails
Why You Should Use Chilli In Your Cocktails
While it is generally perceived that chillies only add a kick of spice and make you grasp for the nearest glass of water, understanding their flavors will help you integrate them better in your cocktail. The essence of spice in a chilli pepper is related to its volatile oil content. This oil is soluble in alcohol, which makes spirits the perfect companion for carrying the spice and the flavor. Plus, alcohol releases its aroma and flavors in a better way, making it perfect for carrying layered flavor profiles.
Here’s 5 ways in which you effortlessly use chillies in your cocktails!
Infuse Chillies In Your Drink
This way is an easy and effective way to integrate the spiciness of chillies. For this, you can use either fresh or dried chillies. Wash them and slit them lengthwise. If you want it to infuse in a better way, you can chop it up into little pieces. You can use any type of chilli peppers, however, Jalapeno and Habanero peppers are considered to be the best. Place the slit chillies preferably in tequila, vodka, and wine.
Once steeped in your spirit of choice, you can let the chillies steep for about 3 days to a week. Note that, the more you steep the chillies in the liquor, the more flavor it will release. However, also note that chillies can eventually break down in the liquor if steeped for long periods of time. You can taste the alcohol to check the ‘spiciness’ of the drink and when you think it’s ready for consumption, you can simply strain it out using a mesh strainer or a cheese cloth. Use this chilli-infused liquor to serve neat drinks or concoct it in a Margarita, Bloody Mary, or a flavorful Michelada.
Garnish With A Chilli Slice
If infusing chilli flavors wasn’t enough, you can place an entire chilli pepper in your cocktail to make it look and taste better! Cocktail garnishes are quite common and add to the visual appeal of a drink. Plus, these garnishes aren’t always decorative, sometimes they can also add essential flavors to the drink.
To use a chilli as a garnish, you can slit it lengthwise and then insert it in the lip/rim of the cocktail glass. You can also coat the chilli with a sweet and spicy blend of sugar, salt, and a few spices to make it look more enticing. These garnishes can elevate almost any drink – be it a Martini, Bloody Mary, Picante, Michelada, or a Margarita!
Muddle Fresh Chillies
Crushing fresh chillies to make your food is quite common, however, you can also spice up your cocktails by muddling up fresh chillies. You can muddle up chillies in a shaker and add simple syrup to balance the spiciness, if required. The flavor of freshly muddled up chillies can instantly elevate your cocktail.
Plus, the texture of coarsely muddled up chillies will definitely leave a lasting impression on your taste buds. You can craft a hearty Chilli Martini or a delightful Margarita by muddling up a couple of chillies in your cocktail shaker.
Also Read: Simple And Easy Food Pairings With Gin
Use A Chilli-Infused Simple Syrup
If you aren’t a fan of tasting the texture of chillies, this one’s for you. You can effortlessly integrate the flavor of chilli in simple syrup. Simply use sugar, chillies, and water in a saucepan and cook the syrup over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Keep stirring and tasting the syrup for the desired taste and once sugar dissolves, simmer it for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, take it off the stove and cool it down to room temperature.
This simple syrup can be used in plenty of cocktails, including Mojitos, Lemonades, and Margaritas. Also, you can add basil, thyme, and other such herbs to the simple syrup while infusing it with chillies to add an extra layer of refreshing taste. Plus, if stored in the freezer, it can easily last up to 6 months! So, when are you making your very own chilli-infused simple syrup?
Also Read: Low Calorie Alcoholic Drinks That Won’t Ruin Your Diet
Coat The Rim Of The Glass With Chilli Powder
Coating the rim of the glass with chilli powder (and a few other ingredients) is the signature of a well-made Spicy Margarita. Adding a coat of ingredients on the rim of your glass not only adds a layer of visual appeal, but is quite hefty. How, you may ask? Well, when you take a sip of the drink, you’ll not just savor the drink, but also taste the coat of sweet and spicy ingredients coated on the rim. These combine effortlessly with the drink and in fact, elevate your whole drinking experience.
You can use paprika, tajin, or even normal chilli powder for this. First, moisten the entire rim of the glass with a lime wedge. Then, place your spice blend on a flat plate and place the glass upside down on the plate. Make sure that the spices evenly coat the rim of the glass. Then you can simply pour your drink in the glass and enjoy it with a zesty, yet fiery kick of spice!
Summing Up
Chilli in your cocktails is an ingredient you didn’t know you needed, until you did! Simply muddle them up, infuse in simple syrup, or use them as a garnish, there are plenty of options to elevate your cocktail game. It’s time to spice up things – in the bar!
FAQs
How Do You Add Chillies To Alcohol?
As mentioned in the article above, you can:
- Muddle up chillies
- Infuse them in simple syrup
- Infuse them in liquor
- Use them as garnish
- Coat the rim of the glass with chilli powder
Which Pepper Is Not Too Spicy?
Bell peppers and Bydagi chilli peppers are known to be less spicy compared to other chilli peppers.
What Is The Mildest Indian Chilli?
The Kashmiri red chilli pepper is said to be the mildest Indian chilli. While the peppers don’t pack a punch in terms of spice, they are renowned for their bright red color. In many foods, Kashmiri chilli powder is used to add color instead of spice.
