Jalapeño peppers are the key to this cocktail. The heat of the drink is determined by how many jalapeño (peño) slices you add to the sugar syrup; depending on amounts, the syrup can end up anywhere from mild to medium to hot to BLASTOFF level. For the perfect garnish, use the candied jalapeño slices you create while making the peño simple syrup.
Ingredients:
Serves 1
1 ounce peño simple syrup, cooled*
3 ounces watermelon juice
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
2 ounces bourbon
Fresh mint
Candied jalapeño slices (from the simple syrup) as garnish
Preparation:
Combine peño simple syrup, watermelon juice, lemon juice, bourbon, and a few mint leaves in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with candied jalapeños.
* Peño simple syrup is made by heating 50 percent sugar to 50 percent water and jalapeño pepper slices in a pan, then stirring until the sugar mixture is completely dissolved and comes to a boil. Strain out the jalapeños, reserving both the candied peños (taste them – they’re sweet and spicy!) and the simple syrup for use later in the recipe.
When testing the recipe, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, and 1 jalapeño pepper sliced into a number of pieces combined to make a mild peño simple syrup. For a drink with more heat, add more jalapeño peppers.
–Slightly adapted from The Drink Blog
Recipe tested by Ellen Ficklen; email questions to hello@watermelontimes.com