Cran Chili Margarita & Zulka Pure Cane Sugar

Happy Cinco De Mayo!  

I am late on this post......sorry.  

We had to travel away for the weekend for our oldest High School baseball game.  My goal was to post this yesterday, but between driving home (ok, so I was a passenger), insane allergies and too much sun......yea I went to bed super early last night.  

Better late then never!

Today I created a Cran Chili Margarita.  

I was honestly a little scared to mix in the chili powder.  

I know it's not the same thing, but I had a habanero martini once and YIKES....HOT...TOOOO HOT......for me at least.  My folks and husband loved it though....and drank all of mine.  That martini has scared me ever since......therefore I have never tried to add peppers of any kind to my cocktails...and in a wussy way, I thought chili powder would be my first step.

I really like this cocktail. 

The chili powder was a great addition.  

I also mixed it into the sugar rim on my margarita glass, very good call.  

I think I may start experimenting with a pepper in the future......a very very mild pepper to start with.

(This week is teacher appreciation week.  Our school does not celebrate it until the week of the 19-23.  I am selling Teacher Wine Charm sets at my Etsy store and I'd love for you to check it out!  Here is a link to that listing: Teacher Wine Charm Sets  Here is a link to my Etsy store in general JPDesigned.  I can do custom orders for just about anything you have in mind.  Convo me through my store and let's create something together!)

Here is a photo of the end result:

Here is a photo of the ingredients:

I was contacted by Zulka Pure Cane Sugar and they wanted to send me a bag of Zulka Pure Cane Sugar to try out.  I was not paid for my opinion.  All opinions are my honest ones.

She thought it might be something that I could use in an upcoming cocktail.  She was right!  

I tasted the sugar by itself and I have to say I like it.  It is not super sweet/sugary.....you know what you think of when you think "sugar".....that face you make when something is too sweet....well at least that is what I think of when I think of sugar.  

Zulka was not that.  

I think this sugar was a perfect accent to my creation today.  

If I would have gone with a sweeter tasting sugar....I'm not sure if it would have worked as well.

Here is a quote from an email I received from Zulka Pure Cane Sugar, "Zulka Pure Cane Sugar is an unrefined, vegan, Non-GMO Project verified "Morena" style sugar that is minimally processed and comes straight from freshly-harvested sugar cane."

I think I'll try it next time I bake something.  Perfect excuse to make some cookies....or....oh boy....I'd better head to the store!

Here is my recipe for a Cran Chili Margarita:

• 1 1/2 ounces cranberry cocktail juice
• 1 ounce silver tequila
• 1/2 ounce triple sec
• 3/4 ounce lime juice
• 1/16 teaspoon chili powder

Rim a margarita glass with an even mixture of sugar and chili powder.  In a shaker, add ice and all of the ingredients above.  Shake well and dump everything into your rimmed margarita glass.

I hope you are all having a great Cinco De Mayo.  Here's to chili powder, and not being a wuss and using it!

Cheers!!

The Cocktail Lady