Habanero Coconut Margarita

There is a restaurant in Cowtown with amazing Margaritas. The kinds that I dream about when I'm craving it. (They have great tacos too, but that's another story). The problem with this place is that it is in Calgary, and I live in the 'burbs. Yes, yes I know suck it up and go, but the plain truth of the matter is that with everything else that goes on in our ives, my cravings for tacos and margaritas don't get to rank that high on the priority list. So let's figure out a solution… make it myself. I found a couple of recipes online, tinkered and smashed them together and made a night of it.

Habanero Coconut Simple Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

2 to 3 Habanero peppers quartered with seeds.

1 tbsp coconut extract

Directions:

Boil water, add sugar and let it dissolve for 2-3 minutes.

Add quartered habanero peppers and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stir occassionally

Turn off heat and let syrup "steep" with the peppers for a minimum of an hour.

Let it steep longer for more heat.

Drain using cheese cloth.

I pulled all pieces except 1 out and let that last piece steep overnight.

Add coconut extract and store in a glass container. 

A mason jar is perfect, not to pour, but to store.

Coconut-chili margarita

1 oz tequila

1/2 oz triple sec (optional) 

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1/4 oz fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz habanero coconut syrup

Coconut sugar rim (exactly what you think it is. You can use normal white sugar, but larger crystals are better)

To rim glass take a spent lime and run it around the edge of the glass. 

Turn the glass over and run it into the coconut sugar.

Add ice to glass.

In a shaker combine tequila, triple sec, lime and lemon juice, and coconut syrup, and shake with ice. 

Strain into the coconut sugar rimmed glass full of ice.