If you're always adding heat to your meals, you'll love kicking your drinks up a notch with these spicy cocktails. Thanks to the variety of chilies, hot sauces, and other ingredients that bring the heat, there are many different ways to incorporate heat into your drinks. Whether you're a die-hard tabasco fan, or you eat jalapeños raw, one of these spicy alcoholic drinks is sure to tingle your tongue.
Turn Classic Mixed Drinks Into Spicy Cocktails
The classics are the perfect base to make a spicy cocktail.
Sizzling Sidecar
If you want to add some flames to your sidecar, incorporate a little chili syrup into your regular recipe.
Ingredients
- Orange wedge
- Sugar
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce chili-infused simple syrup
- ½ ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- 2 ounces Cognac
- Ice
- Orange twist for garnish
Instructions
- Run an orange wedge around the rim of a chilled coupe and dip the rim in sugar. Set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, chili syrup, orange liqueur, and Cognac.
- Add ice and shake for about ten seconds.
- Strain into the sugared coupe glass and garnish with an orange twist.
Jalapeño Lime Rickey
This unusual combination of jalapeño and limes makes for a perfectly balanced spicy cocktail.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1½ ounce London dry gin
- Ice
- Club soda
- Lime wedge
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the simple syrup and 3 or 4 jalapeño slices.
- Add the lime juice, gin, and ice. Shake to chill.
- Strain into a collins glass filled with ice and top with club soda.
- Garnish with a lime wedge and additional jalapeño slices.
Red Hot Old Fashioned
If you want to pack in a little spice into your regular old fashion, add some walnut bitters and chili pepper syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 orange slices
- ¾ ounce chili pepper simple syrup
- Dash walnut cocktail bitters
- 2 ounces bourbon
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the orange slices, chili pepper syrup, aand bitters. Add bourbon and ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Lime-Chili-Cucumber G&T
This gin and tonic recipe balances a red pepper garnish with a few cucumber slices for a fresh, multi-flavored drink.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge
- Chili powder mixed with coarse salt
- 2 ounces tonic water
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- 1 ounce gin
- Ice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Run the lime wedge around the rim of a collins glass and dip it in the chili powder and salt mixture.
- In a mixing glass, muddle the cucumber slices with the lime wedge. Add the gin and ice and stir.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with the tonic water.
- Garnish with the lime wheel.
Santa Fe Tom Collins
The classic Tom Collins gets a spicy upgrade with this recipe that adds chili powder and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cilantro sprigs
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces gin
- Club soda
- Ice
- Lime wheel
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the chili powder, cilantro sprigs, lemon juice, simple syrup, and gin. Add ice and shake.
- Strain the mixture into a collins glass filled with ice.
- Top with club soda, and garnish with a lime wheel.
Kicking Moscow Mule
This spiced Moscow mule is a great alternative to the regular recipe, as it muddles a habanero for some serious heat.
Ingredients
- 2 lime wedges
- 1 habanero, seeded and sliced
- 2 ounces vodka
- Ice
- Ginger beer
- Mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In the bottom of a mule mug, muddle the lime wedges and habanero slices.
- Add vodka, lime juice, and ice. Stir well.
- Top with ginger beer and garnish with a mint sprig.
Caliente Bloody Maria
Anyone who's a fan of the bloody Mary should try this tequila-based variation of the bloody Maria, which has a kick of horseradish and hot sauce. It's a must for weekend brunches. Or, try a bloody beer, which has a kick of horseradish.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces tequila
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 4 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of ½ a lime
- 2 dashes celery salt
- 4 dashes pepper, plus additional for garnish
- Tomato juice
- Celery stalk for garnish
- Lemon and/or lime wedge with olive for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the tequila, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, celery salt, pepper, and tomato juice.
- Shake well to mix and chill.
- Strain over fresh ice into a highball glass and garnish with celery stalk and citrus wedge.
- Add another dash of black pepper if desired.
Spicy Bloody Mary
The brunch-time favorite takes on a full-bodied flavor with this spicy version chock-full of chili powder and spicy tomato-vegetable juice.
Ingredients
- 1 lime wedge
- Chili powder
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce pickle juice
- 2 ounce spicy tomato-vegetable juice
- 2½ ounces vodka
- Ice
- 1 celery stick
Instructions
- Take a highball glass and rub the rim with a lime wedge. Dip it into a plate full of chili powder to coat the rim.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients. Add ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into the highball glass full of ice and garnish with a celery stick.
Mojito en Fuego
This drink is not for the faint of heart, and you can also add sweet fruit juices such as mango or strawberry to help tame the heat.
Ingredients
- 10 mint leaves
- Half a lime cut into slices
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 ounces light rum
- Seltzer water
- 2-3 slices of jalapeño, depending on desired spice level
- Orange wheel and jalapeño slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a collins glass, muddle the mint, lime, jalapeños, and sugar.
- Add ice, then pour the rum over the ice.
- Top with seltzer water and garnish with the orange wheel and jalapeño slice.
Piquant Paloma
The fruit juices in this spicy paloma recipe give your mouth a respite from the heat of the jalapenos.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge
- Coarse salt mixed with chili powder
- ½ ounce agave nectar
- Jalapeño, sliced
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce grapefruit juice
- 1½ ounce tequila
- Ice
- Grapefruit sparkling water
Instructions
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass. Dip the rim into the chili powder and salt mixture.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the jalapeño and agave nectar.
- Add the lime juice, grapefruit juice, and tequlia. Add ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared rocks glass, filled with ice.
- Top with grapefruit sparkling water. Garnish with the lime wedge and a jalapeño slice.
Spiced Cocktails That Were Born Fiery
You can also enjoy spicy alcoholic drinks that were created to be spicy.
Flaming Chili Mango Martini
With a tropical sweetness to balance out the spice from the fresh chiles, it's hard to drink only one of these chili mango martinis.
Ingredients
- 1 lime wedge
- Red pepper flakes mixed with sugar
- 2 fresh chiles, such as Thai or cayenne
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 1½ ounces vodka
- 2 ounces mango purée
- Ice
Instructions
- Run the lime wedge around the rim of a martini glass. Dip the rim in the mixture of the red pepper flakes and sugar.
- Split and de-seed one chili, then muddle with the syrup in a cocktail shaker.
- Add the vodka, mango purée, and ice.
- Shake well and strain into the prepared martini glass.
- Garnish with the remaining chili.
Michelada
This beer-based cocktail is a savory option, with just the right about of heat from a few dashes of hot sauce.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge
- Salt mixed with ½ teaspoon of chili powder for rim
- 1 bottle of Mexican lager
- Tomato juice
- 3-4 splashes hot sauce such as Tabasco or Tapatio
- 2 splashes of Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Run the lime wedge of lime around the rim of the pilsner glass, then dip the rim into the chili powder and salt mix.
- Fill the glass about ¼ to ⅓ with tomato juice. Add the hot sauce, the lime juice, and the Worcestershire sauce.
- Top up the glass with cold beer.
- Garnish with orange peels.
Penicillin
This honey and ginger delight is the brain-child of Aussie bartender Sam Ross, who created this modern classic during his tenure in NYC.
Ingredients
- 3 slices of fresh ginger
- ¾ ounce honey syrup
- 2 ounces blended Scotch whisky
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce smoky Islay single-malt Scotch whiskey
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the ginger and honey syrup.
- Add blended Scotch and lemon juice. Add ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and add the Islay Scotch as a float.
Sun Burn
This will the first sun burn you'll ever enjoy with is combination of honey, white rum, lime juice, and hot sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ tsp hot sauce
- ½ ounce honey syrup
- 2 ounces white rum
- Ice
- Dash cayenne pepper for garnish
- 1 lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, hot sauce, honey syrup, and rum. Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with a dash of cayenne and a lime wedge.
Tropical Burn
For a tropical heat, turn to this cocktail recipe that combines pineapple juice, simple syrup, vodka, ginger, and jalapenos.
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 1 small ginger root, sliced thin
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- ¾ ounce pineapple juice
- 1½ ounces vodka
- Ice
- Pineapple wedge and cilantro sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle a few slices of jalapeño, a few slices of ginger, and the simple syrup.
- Add the pineapple juice, vodka, and add ice. Shake until chilled.
- Strain into a tall glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cilantro sprig.
Bring the Heat!
If you still can't get enough of these spicy cocktails, remember that certain spirits have an affinity for chiles: tequila, mezcal, and rum to name a few. However, there's no reason not to play around with adding spice to any of your favorite liquors. For example, vodka is perfect for infusing chiles or ginger. Either way, you're sure to find a slew of new recipes to add to your personal list of go-to cocktails.
