A HOT DRINK ON THE ROCKS

And by hot, I mean spicy! At a BBQ last year, the very creative and talented Leo, who heads the bar at Eleven Madison Park in NY, made a sensational specialty cocktail for all of our friends. This mix of spicy and sweet went perfectly with our smoky meats and traditional BBQ sides. While Leo was bartending, I snapped a quick picture of the ingredients + Leo so I'd someday be able to reference and recreate his liquid heaven (or hell, depending on how heavy you decide to go with the jalapeños).

Here's the recipe for 2 drinks, because who would go to all this trouble to make a lonesome drink for one?

1 oz Aperol
1 oz Cherry Liqueur
4 oz Rum
6 oz Margarita Mix
Juice of 1 lemon
1 jalapeño roughly chopped and seeds discarded

1 oz Mezcal (optional) for an added smoky flavor

Place the lemon and jalapeño in a martini shaker and muddle the jalapeno into the lemon. Add ice and remaining ingredients. Shake well. Pour over ice into tumbler glasses. Garnish with a slice of jalapeño.

Rachel and I made these drinks this past Sunday for a little BBQ we were having. On our first run, we quickly learned we'd used a little too much jalapeño for one friend's liking. Sorry, Jason! So proceed with caution when making this drink. You want your friends to come to your next party!

M