Spring Garden Margarita

Cucumber Lemon Herb Spring Garden Margarita

I like a good margarita (not a sweet shell of a margarita that has become popular). I also love a different take on a margarita. With Cinco de Mayo around the corner I know you're probably looking for something new this year..enter the cucumber garden margarita. It has a handful of botanical flavors inspired by the garden and maybe the most fun part is how crazy you can go with the garden garnishes. 

We use lemon as the citrus base in this margarita but for something unusual and botanical, there's cucumber puree. And instead of a basic sweetener we swapped it out for a black pepper honey syrup. Served over pebbled ice (the best kind of ice in my humble opinion) this is a great cocktail for spring flavors. The only caveat is the necessity of flavorful cucumbers. I unyieldingly suggest Persian cucumbers. Taste them before you make the cucumber puree and adjust as needed (if your cucumber doesn't smell like a cucumber, you're going to need to add more honey and salt to compensate). 

As for the garnishes? Use what's in season and garden-y. If I had photographed this recipe next week, I would have considered using strawberry blossoms as the floral garnish. A few weeks later? Maybe some rose petals. Use what makes you happy.

Lemon Herb Spring Garden Margarita 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 oz silver tequila
• 2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 oz cucumber juice *see below
• 3/4 oz honey black pepper syrup * see below
• a few cracks of sea salt

Cucumber Juice

• 2 small Persian cucumbers
• 1/4 cup water

Honey Black Pepper Syrup

• 1 Tablespoon wildflower honey
• 1 Tablespoon water
• a few cracks of black pepper

Garnish:

• 2 cups ice cubes
• snap pea garnish
• fresh mint
• edible flowers
• cucumber slices

DIRECTIONS

1. Make cucumber juice by pureeing chopped cucumber with water. Strain out solids. 
2. Make honey pepper syrup by microwaving or heating water and honey together for about 15 seconds. Stir to combine. Note: watch your microwave during this so it doesn't bubble and overflow. Add a few cracks of fresh black pepper.
3. Add tequila, lemon juice, cucumber juice, honey syrup and salt to a shaker with a few ice cubes.
4. Make pebble ice by adding about 2 cups of ice cubes to a high powered blender. Pulse to get small piece of pebbled ice. 
5. Add ice to cups. 
6. Shake cocktail.
7. Pour between two glasses. 
8. Garnish with mint, edible flowers, cucumber and peas.