6 Spicy Cocktail Recipes To Warm You Up This Weekend
WEEKLY COCKTAIL ROUND-UP | SPICY COCKTAILS
We’re reaching some record cold temps in the Lowcountry this weekend so I compiled a list of recipes to warm you up.
Cheers y’all!
This is a classic sour build with layered spice and controlled heat. Cognac provides structure and weight, while five spice syrup adds warmth without sweetness overpowering the drink. Fresh lemon keeps the balance clean and focused. The Sichuan sesame tincture is used intentionally. A few drops introduce tingle, aroma, and depth without overwhelming the base. This cocktail works best when you want a spirit-forward sour that still feels precise and balanced.
Cheers, y’all!
ingredients:
1½ oz | 45 ml Cognac
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Five Spice Syrup
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
4 Drops Sichuan Sesame Tincture
Caramelized Tian Jin Lemon Wheel
Star Anise (garnish)
instructions:
Combine all ingredients except garnish into a shaking tin with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish and serve.
FIVE SPICE SYRUP
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½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp star anise
1 Tbsp fennel seed
½ Tbsp whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
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Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool, strain, and store in an airtight container under refrigeration.
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SICHUAN SESAME TINCTURE
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5 oz high-proof neutral spirit or 151
2 tsp toasted Sichuan peppercorn
2 Tianjin chilis, broken or crushed
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
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Combine all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake. Store in a cool, dry place for two weeks, shaking every other day. Strain and transfer to a dropper bottle. Longer aging increases intensity.
This margarita is sharp, savory, and cold. Lime provides acidity, pickle brine adds salt, and agave keeps the drink balanced without sweetness taking over.
It is best served over crushed ice in warm weather. High proof tequila gives the drink enough structure to handle the brine and heat.
Cheers, y’all!
ingredients:
2 oz | 60 ml Tequila
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Lime Juice
½ oz | 15 ml Spicy Pickle Brine
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Agave Syrup
Pickle + Arbol Chili (garnish)
instructions:
Add all ingredients except garnish to a shaking tin with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain over pebble or crushed ice. Garnish and serve.
This cocktail combines mezcal, ancho liqueur, lime, and agave for a balanced, smoky drink. Cocoa bitters add depth without sweetness.
It is served over crushed or pebble ice and garnished with lime, chili threads, and smoked salt.
Cheers, y’all!
ingredients:
1½ oz | 45 ml Mezcal
½ oz | 15 ml Ancho Liqueur
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz | 15 ml Agave Nectar
3 Dashes Aztec Cocoa Bitters
Dehydrated Lime Wheel, Smoked Salt, Chili Threads (garnis
instructions:
Combine mezcal, liqueur, lime juice, agave nectar, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour over crushed or pebble ice. Garnish and serve.
Have you ever had a Jaffa Cake?
It's no secret that orange and chocolate go really well together so when I saw this recipe in @Nicholas.hamilton's newly released book, "Sipsy Doozy." I knew I had to try it. I'm happy to report that it's as delicious as it sounds. Huge congrats to Nick for his new book, you can grab it over on his page/bio!
Cheers y'all.
Excerpt from the book and origin story of the cocktail: "This spicy chocolate orange in liquid form tickles the throat as it soothes the tongue with cocoa-coated citrus. This concoction was invented by my followers and me on a TikTok livestream, a result of brainstorming drink ideas with the viewers in the comments. Once the drink was made, a clever commenter said it must taste like a Jaffa Cake, a popular orange-chocolate biscuit (cookie) from England.
Deciding that that name didnt fully encapsulate the spiciness and savoriness of the cocktail, it was renamed the Jaffa Kick."
By: Nicholas Hamilton
ingredients:
1 oz | 30 ml Tequila
1 oz | 30 ml Orange Liqueur
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Averna Amaro
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Cocoa Bitters
½ Tsp hot sauce (Valentina)
Orange swath, to garnish (see page 27)
instructions:
Add the tequila, orange liqueur, Averna amaro, cocoa bitters, and hot sauce to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled and diluted, 15 to 20 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with an expressed orange swath.
A floral-leaning Negroni with a lighter profile and clean bitterness. Italicus softens the gin, while toasted pink peppercorn adds subtle spice and structure. Best served cold and stirred down.
Recipe by Keith Dugan
Model talent: Fabiana Pinillos
ingredients:
1½ oz | 45 ml Gin
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Italicus
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Toasted Pink Peppercorn Infused Campari
lime zest
instructions:
Stir with ice in a rocks glass, express and twist a lime peel, and sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the top.
A rich, spirit-forward dessert cocktail with heat and balance. Reposado tequila brings structure, while chocolate, cream, and spice keep it smooth and controlled. Best served cold in a small stem.
Cheers, y’all!
ingredients:
1½ oz | 45 ml Tequila
1 oz | 30 ml Chocolate Cream Liqueur
½ oz | 15 ml Crème de Cacao
¾ oz | 22.5 ml Heavy Cream
1 barspoon Cinnamon Syrup
4 dashes Habanero Bitters
1 pinch Sea Salt
Cocoa Powder (garnish)
Cinnamon Stick (garnish)
instructions:
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a shaking tin with ice. Shake, strain and pour the cocktail into a chilled Nick+Norah glass and garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder and a flamed cinnamon stick (optional). Serve and enjoy!
Disclosure:
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If a post is sponsored, this means I was compensated to research, develop and photograph a custom recipe on my own or in collaboration with other talented persons.
Thanks for the support y'all!
