Spicy Blood Orange Margaritas

Okay folks, it is almost Halloween. And it's not like I am looking for an excuse for a wickedly delicious cocktail... but why not make one up?

Halloween or not, I love a good margarita. Like a really good hand squeezed lime juice, muddled with a home made simple syrup, some silver tequila, Cointreau a splash of soda and a splash of orange juice. I am a hand crafted margarita kind of lady.

Okay, So Archer GIF creator can't spell Cointreau, and I have added a few ingredients, but I promise I am still in the Margarita purist realm.

This spicy devil has taken it up a notch though. I made a spicy red chili simple syrup and I used blood oranges in stead of regular ones. Why should the kids have all the fun on Halloween?!?! Mommy and Daddy like a little fun juice while trick-or-treating. And you are gonna score some extra points with your friends for keeping your Halloween game on point. This spicy, sweet and tangy margarita is where it is at.

We are going to make a pitchers worth, because I am that kind of girl. (Aka 4-5 margaritas) Sharing is caring people. Never ever forget that.

Lets start with the Spicy Simple Syrup.

1 cup water

2 cups granulated sugar

2-3 red chilies

1. Heat water in a pan on the stove top and add the sugar, mixing well.

2. Halve the chili and remove the stem. A lot of the heat from spicy peppers is in the seeds and the ribs. So leave some of those in there is you like it spicy.

3. Add the peppers to the simple syrup mixture.

4. Whisk frequently for 8-10 minutes, or until the water reduces and the consistency is more syrupy. (Thus the name, duh.) Keep in mind, it will thicken up a bit when cooled.

5. Fine a fine mesh strainer and pour the liquid through it into a lidded container. Allow it to cool completely before making the margarita.

Lets make a margarita now, shall we?

Ingredients:

3/4 - 1 cup spicy simple syrup

6 blood oranges

4 limes

1 can blood orange San Pellegrino

150-200 mL Cointreau (half the 375 mL bottle)

2 cups silver tequilla

red sprinkles (optional)

extra red chilies (optional)

red food coloring (optional)

1) In a pitcher, juice your limes and your blood oranges.

2. Add your tequila, Cointreau and simple syrup. Stir vigorously.

3. Add the Blood Orange San Pellegrino and stir gently.

4. If you chose to add red food coloring to make it more red, feel free to do so. I did in these pictures because it is supposed to be a Halloween Post. But you can also skip that entirely. It is actually prettier without it, in my opinion.

5) If you wish to rim the glass with salt or red sugar, simply run a lime around the rim and dip the glass into a shallow pile of the salt or sugar. Heck, mix them for all I care. :)

6) Keep chilled and serve over ice.

Enjoy!