El Pepino (Cucumber Margarita) Cocktail Recipe

El Pepino, or “the cucumber” in Spanish, riffs on the basic Margarita template, that means it performs on some mixture of tequila, lime juice, and a sweetener (usually triple sec or agave nectar). Nevertheless, the Pepino cocktail has taken on a lifetime of its personal, a riff that numerous skilled and residential bartenders have additionally experimented with, every including components to convey the drink past a easy muddled cucumber Margarita.

The Historical past of the Pepino Cocktail

Like many iterations of basic cocktails, the Pepino has generations of followers and competing origin tales. In 2012, singer and actor Justin Timberlake launched the drink into the mainstream throughout an interview with Bon Appétit wherein he mentioned the Pepino was his favourite cocktail. His model was mentioned to be primarily based on a creation of famous bar skilled Junior Merino, which makes use of pineapple along with cucumber, tequila, and lime juice, with Grand Mariner as a sweetening agent. One other declare to the origin of the drink goes to Las Vegas-based Gaston Martinez, whose model omits pineapple however contains cilantro for an natural kick, in addition to egg white for texture within the type of a conventional bitter.

The reality of El Pepino’s origins might be rather more mundane, and it’s arduous to definitively credit score any single particular person with being the primary to muddle cucumber slices right into a Margarita. The recipe you’ll discover right here leans towards a extra basic profile by omitting the pineapple juice to keep up acidic steadiness whereas letting the opposite substances shine. It additionally makes use of agave nectar quite than orange liqueur, within the type of a Tommy’s Margarita. Jalapeño provides an additional kick, and  works to each complement and steadiness the cucumber.

Why the Pepino Cocktail Works

When in comparison with extra oddball mixtures of esoteric cocktail substances, it’s not arduous to see why the Pepino works effectively. The basic components of a Margarita are all at play, balancing spirit, sweetness, and citrus. Utilizing agave nectar, quite than the extra processed and distilled sugar of triple sec, performs off the pure components of tequila, an agave-based spirit.

Moreover, the interaction between contemporary lime juice and agave nectar works to intensify the 2 major components of tequila’s profile—its citrus overtones in addition to the spirit’s earthier elements. This strikes an fascinating distinction to a normal Margarita’s specs, which merely dial up the citrus by including orange liqueur on prime of lime.

In the meantime, cucumber is muddled alongside jalapeño pepper, leveraging the basic mixture of cooling and spice, quite than leaning on a single word of both. The quantity of jalapeño might be dialed up or down primarily based on warmth choice, and even fully omitted if desired.

Lastly, the spicy-salty rim acts to reawaken the style buds with every sip, so the Pepino stays participating by way of to the ultimate sip, quite than fatiguing midway by way of the glass.