Strawberry Jalapeño Cocktail
With or without alcohol, this summer refresher is a little sweet, a little sour and a little spicy.
Self-serve drinks are a huge part of easy entertaining, plus it’s a fun way for guests to engage as they play around with the ingredients. We always provide a non-alcoholic base and then set out options for customizing, which makes it simple for guests to add or avoid alcohol and keeps it kid-friendly.
In the summertime, the base more often than not starts with lemonade. Think of this cocktail like a margarita spritzer. When entertaining a large crowd, we make our base (strawberry lemonade and lime seltzer with sliced limes, strawberries and ice) in a giant drink dispenser and then set out margarita salt, fresh jalapeño slices, jalapeño simple syrup, lime wedges and a good tequila for guests to get creative.
Below you’ll find the recipe for one batch of simple syrup and one cocktail. Multiply as you see fit:
Ingredients:
For the simple syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh sliced jalapeños
For one cocktail:
2 oz strawberry lemonade
2 oz lime seltzer
2 oz tequila
1 oz jalapeño simple syrup
lime juice for rimming a glass
margarita salt
sliced limes, jalapeños and strawberries for garnish
Directions:
For the simple syrup:
Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup sliced fresh jalapeños. Continue simmering for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let cool. Store in an airtight container with or without jalapeños. (If left in, the heat of the jalapeños will increase as syrup sits). Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
For the cocktail:
Rim a cocktail glass or mason jar with lime juice. Dip rim in margarita salt. Add ice, 2 oz strawberry lemonade, 2 oz tequila and 1 oz jalapeño simple syrup. Stir. Top with 2 oz lime seltzer. (If we’re entertaining a large group, I add the seltzer right to the drink dispenser ahead of time.)
Delicious with or without tequila.
Enjoy!
More tips for hosting your own porch party, plus details on how we remodeled our porch, in Chapter 5 of Afternoon Tea.
