The Magnificent Hummingbird (Margarita) – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

I was daydreaming about Baja Mexico when I came up with this one.  This margarita will give you a tingle on your lips from the cayenne in the rimming sugar/salt. 


Rimming mix:
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
mix above then dust with cayenne pepper and mix again

Shaker:
Fresh squeezed tangerine juice (3 oz)
Fresh squeezed lime juice (1 oz)
2 1/2 oz of good quality 100% blue agave reposado tequila (I used Herradura)
1 oz of Agavero liqueur

Garnish:
cilantro
jalapeno pepper

To build the cocktail:
Rub some cilantro in your hands to release the oils and then rub the inside of the glass well with the crushed cilantro.   Rub rim of glass with left over lime and then rim in the sugar/salt mix.  Shake the cocktail over crushed ice then strain into your prepared glass. Garnish with a bit of chopped cilantro and a couple of jalapeno rings.

Notes:  

If you can't find Agavero you can use Damiana or Cointreau or another Agave nectar liqueur. If you want a spicier cocktail you can sprinkle some cayenne into your shaker.

The Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) is a native of Mexico and extends from the southwest U.S. into central America.  




If you want to know more about the Eugenes fulgens see this scientific paper at https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v089n02/p0357-p0363.pdf.

Cheers!