I can't even remember the first place I had a prickly pear margarita, but ever since trying one I have been on the hunt for the hard to find prickly pear or cactus flower fruit to whip up a batch for myself. Living in Chicago certainly didn't help on my search for the elusive ingredient and I even tried finding them in Paris as super specialty store L'Epicerie with no luck. Last weekend while grabbing breakfast at Grand Central Market in downtown LA, I spotted a box full of them at one of the random produce stands inside (the spanish name for them is "tuna" which threw me off at first, but the vendor assured me it was what I was looking for). We picked up three of them and promptly came home to google exactly how you are supposed to cut them open and harvest the fruit. I followed this recipe for how to make the prickly pear syrup and the only modification I would mention is that the process on the stove only takes about 5 minutes as opposed to the 15 the recipe calls for. Besides adding a vibrant pink/magenta color to your cocktail, the cactus flower also adds a subtle fruity sweetness that pairs perfectly with a spicy salt rim. Here's my version of the recipe:
More often than not I will order the cocktail on the menu that has some sort of spice especially if it includes jalapeño. I like spicy foods, but I'm not a fanatic about it so it's odd that I always prefer a spicy cocktail. In less than two weeks, I'll be back out in Palm Springs again with some friends from Chicago and we generally find ourselves mixing up some form of spicy margarita or spiked aqua fresca. For this Friday's cocktail, I decided to try out marrying the two vacation drinks by making a spicy watermelon margarita and I'll be honest it is nothing short of amazing. The absolute perfect poolside drink: it's refreshing from the watermelon, spicy from the jalapeños as well as the cayenne salt rim and it includes tequila. Short of adding a cocktail umbrella I'm not sure what else this drink really needs!
I was first introduced to mezcal at downtown Los Angeles' tequila-only bar,Las Perlas, and I definitely did not care for it at first- it tasted as if someone put out their cigar out in my drink. Over the years I have tried it out in different drinks and now I even prefer it to regular tequila (this is the bottle we keep on our bar currently). When mixed correctly, I find I appreciate the smokey taste and depth of flavor this interesting spirit adds. I found this cocktail recipe for a Mezcal Mule in one of my favorite cocktail books that I have mentioned here and actually got the chance to meet the author at duringthis event. This cocktail might just the perfect balance of spice and smoke - perfect for a hot summer night fiesta!
I'm starting to realize basil might be one of my favorite cocktail ingredients (see recipes using it here, here, here, & here!) so why not try it out in a classic margarita in honor of Cinco de Mayo this coming Monday! I based this cocktail off of a classic Tommy's Margarita then increased the agave nectar to make it a bit sweeter and muddled in fresh basil to add a fun herbal flavor. The best past (and the part that makes people think you spent half a day making this drink when in fact you spent about 10 minutes) is the basil sugar/salt mixture used to rim the glass. Simply mix together a few spoonfuls of sugar and sugar then muddle in fresh basil leaves to infuse a slight basil taste to the garnish! I hope you enjoy this one alongside some tasty tacos and guacamole this weekend!
Next weekend we will be attending a Cinco de Mayo party where each guest brings a batch of margaritas to enter into a contest so I have been brainstorming what recipe we should whip up for the win this year. Last year we tried to be fancy and brought these, but we didn't win which I will chalk up to the fact that most of the judges were drunk. My favorite kind of margarita is a classic Tommy's margarita with jalapeño muddled in and a spicy paprika salt rim (generally enjoyed in Palm Springs!) so I thought I might try out an even spicier recipe to potentially enter in the contest.
Working with my fave recipe as a base, I added in muddled red pepper, more jalapeños, a pepper garnish including fiery habanero and rimed the glass with home-made lime salt. I absolutely love how this cocktail turned out, but it occurred to me after a few sips that the spice won't make it a crowd pleaser (aka the champion) so I'll need to think of something else for the contest. I think we will go off the beaten path with a less traditional margarita and I'll be happy to do all the "research" in the meantime.
A while back I posted a recipe for a refreshing Dill Paloma recipe that was my go to recipe at one of our fave bars in downtown Los Angeles and believe it or not I haven't had a Paloma since the last time I was there! Seeingthis recent party on The Glitter Guide inspired me to try out a new Paloma recipe, but this time I put a spicy twist on it:
Remember thatlittle sneak peek I gave last weekof my trip to New York to shoot a fun video with four other fabulous bloggers? Well I'm back today to show the final video the team at Glam & Sauza put together starring Hallie, Ali, Mel, Devon & yours truly. The video is inspired by a fun girls night in showcasing the new ready to serve Sparkling Margaritas by Sauza (a classic cocktail made into a sparkling version?!? count. me. in!) Plus read on past the video as I share some of my favorite tips on entertaining for a girls night in!!
I just love watching that video! We had so much fun making it that I wish I could go to that fabulous beach house every weekend. I wish I could say the five of us single-handedly made all the dishes and decor, but while we were laughing (and drinking) there was a huge team behind us making everything look gorgeous (including some very talented food stylists!). While you might not have a glam team behind you next girls night, you can still put together a beautiful evening with some of my tips for a quick, easy, and girly entertaining set up....
{I like to scoop up cute wrapping paper whenever I come across it (most of these are from Home Goods!)- its great to have on hand for last minute gifts, but it can also double as a fun tablecloth or runner! I store all my gift wrap in this vase from Target}
{the same goes for dinner/cocktail napkins- whenever I see a fun design, I make sure to buy it. I can always find something fabulous at Home Goods or Ikea}
{Although I love to whip some mini appetizers (usually inspired by this pinterest board), I also make sure to keep our freezer stocked with tasty and quick frozen apps. While fresh dishes are always preferred, if you keep a good selection of bites in your freezer you will always be ready for impromptu guests or a great spread of food when you are short on time!}
{One of my go-to simple desserts are these cheesecake bites (seen previously here), using a regular frozen cheesecake, a few raspberries & fun appetizer picks this dessert looks like it took all day to assemble when really it takes only a couple minutes. The instructions on the frozen cheesecake will probably tell you to let it thaw in the fridge for a couple hours, but I prefer to let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes then cut it into the bite sized cubes while it is still slightly frozen as it makes it easier to cut. After you have the cubes, simply let them thaw at room temperature for about another hour then pop a raspberry one top of each one secured with a wood appetizer pick}
{Who doesn't love pita chips and tasty hummus?!?! I like to fancy this classic snack spread up a bit, by placing the pita chips in a vintage pedestal bowl and transferring the hummus from its store bought container into a simple rectangular bowl}
{the best part about the Sauza Sparkling Maragritas is that they are all ready to go out of the bottle! No prep or mixing needed, but that doesnt mean you can jazz them up just a bit more with fresh garnishes like mint sprigs or lime/lemon wedges!}
{I love to display fresh garnishes in vintage cocktails coupes (like atthis party) and allow guests to serve themselves as they desire}
{peach mango garnished with fresh lemons, wild berry with raspberries & original margarita with mint and a lime wheel}
{this simple spread does takes some planning ahead of time, but you can have almost all these ingredients on hand in your fridge or freezer so that your next girls night in takes minimal prep time on your part- which leaves you with more time to pick out a fun outfit and spend time with your friends!}
Sauza® Sparkling Margarita is our brand new, ready-to-serve sparkling margarita. It's available
in three delicious flavors: Original Lime, Mango Peach and Wild Berry. Now you can add a little
more sparkle to your ladies' night. Connect and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sauza® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed
herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sauza®.
Do you like tequila? Yes....so do I! I also really like champagne. This cocktail is the best of those two worlds in one drink! Is your mind blown? The original recipe for this tequila infused sparkler is right here, but I altered the proportions significantly to suit my taste and then added in an extra kick of citrus by adding lime bitters.
Be sure to check back here around 11ish CST for the final reveal of the video I shot in NYC with some of my fave lady bloggers!
{what do you guys think of the newly designed recipe card!?!?}
Over the past couple years, we have build up a pretty strong collection of cocktail and bar books. Our mini libation library hides inside of our bar console and includes my favorite one, a fabulous vintage oneand my go to recommendation for those just starting out with their home bar. I recently added Craft Cocktails to our line up which is the new addition from Assouline that comes as a follow up to their original Vintage Cocktails book. Both have the same format of a fabulous handwritten recipe alongside gorgeous full page imagery of the corresponding cocktail. Every single cocktail in this book sounds amazing, but I opted to try out one that I had all ingredients on hand in my kitchen (the recipes in this book are pretty advanced in the ingredients department so most will require a trip to a specialty store or Amazon.)
The cocktail I made is the Fresa Brava and it has a great complex flavor of sweet fresh berries mixed with the herbal infusion of the Chartreuse- plus a little spice from jalapeños never hurt anyone. I actually cheated a little bit on this one since I didn't I have jalapeño infused tequila and simply muddled in a few jalapeño slices to the cocktail.
