What’s the best base cocktail if you’re looking to make a flavor-specific, seasonal, or holiday-styled drink?

The margarita!

It lends itself to a myriad of flavor combinations and you can add warmth or coolness to it with so many different ingredients. Heck! You can even have warmth and coolness in one drink!

That’s what this Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita from Amanda at Burrata and Bubbles accomplishes. You get the heat from the jalapeño paired with the coolness of the cucumber.

It’s delightful. It’s crisp. It’s refreshing. And the jalapeño keeps you on your toes.

So, when warmer days or Cinco de Mayo approach, grab a few cucumbers, a ginger root, and some jalapeños at the store and let your inner bartender come out to play!

More Margarita Mania

Looking for additional margarita ideas? We’ve got you covered!

Coconut Margarita

Spicy Grapefruit Margarita, Spicy Jalapeño Margarita, Strawberry Margarita

Plum-Thyme Margarita, Sparkling Blood Orange Margarita, Thanksgiving Margarita

Simple to Make−Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita

Get the recipe from: Burrata and Bubbles

I love cucumbers. They’re light, crisp and refreshing. They’re great in salads, smoothies, dips, infused into water, and in mocktails and cocktails.

I’m not really a fan of jalapeños on their own, but I appreciate the spicy heat they add to food and also to cocktails. Jalapeños offer a subtle heat you can crank up or down depending on your tolerance for spice and depending on your mood.

Pairing the coolness of the cucumber with the spice of the jalapeño in this margarita not only wakes up your taste buds but also transports you to a white sandy beach where the waves gently lap and carry all your troubles out to sea. Just close your eyes while you sip this cocktail and you’ll be there in no time.

Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita ingredients. That’s the ginger-infused simple syrup in front.

Seven things to know about the Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita recipe:

  • This cocktail takes a bit longer to make but it’s worth your time. There are several additional steps including making the ginger simple syrup and the cucumber juice, but they’re easy steps. Start the simple syrup then work on the cucumber juice. By the time you finish the juice, the simple syrup should be ready.
Strain the cucumber puree through a fine-mesh sieve.
  • I substituted Hornitos Plata (silver) tequila for the Reposado and used Stirrings Triple Sec in place of Grand Marnier/Cointreau. The Hornitos Plata substitution was a matter of what tequila I had on hand. The Triple Sec substitution was a matter of preference. I’ve recently realized I’m not a fan of Grand Marnier and much prefer Triple Sec in my margaritas. Did I get the exact results as the recipe? No. Did I still get a great-tasting, refreshing margarita? Absolutely! Don’t be afraid to substitute and use what you prefer or have on hand!
  • Don’t own a muddler? No worries! You can always use the back of a spoon to crush the jalapeño slices with the lime juice. Be aggressive and smash those jalapeños!
  • Use your fingers to press all the liquid out of the cucumber puree. Maybe I’m just exceedingly impatient and could have let the puree sit in the sieve to strain on its own. But I didn’t. I used my fingers to press the liquid out of the puree to speed up the process.
  • You’re in control of the spice in this margarita: While you want to maintain a balance between the freshness of the cucumber juice and the spice from the jalapeño, if you want a bit more spice, add a few more jalapeño slices to the cocktail shaker and muddle away!
  • Ginger storage tip: If you don’t use ginger very often, store it in your freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag. Frozen ginger lasts about six months and is easy to peel, cut, grate and zest.
  • Need a pitcher of margaritas? Amanda at Burrata and Bubbles has you covered: It can be hard when you find a recipe you love and want to multiply, but Amanda provides detailed instructions in the notes section of the recipe so you can whip up a pitcher of these margaritas for your next party.

When warmer months and afternoons or evenings in your yard or on your patio approach, this Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita provides a perfect cool-down drink. Make a few or make a batch. You won’t be disappointed.

Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita