Mango & Serrano Chili Daiquiris

If Cinco de Mayo means I get to sit around and slurp these bad boys one after the other – I’m in. Of course, you probably already knew that because I haven’t been able to shut up about it for the last week. Honestly though, I think I’m actually more excited for the build-up than the actual day itself, because it means I get to indulge in Mexican pretty much every day for the whole entire preceding week – which I did. Every. Single. Day.

I started out the week with a healthy chicken enchilada quinoa bake, celebrated hump day with shrimp, pineapple and bacon guacamole and then finished off the week with this five ingredient salsa verde enchilada stack. Not to mention I slipped in a fancy Mexican meal, and our favorite hole-in-the-wall spot when I wasn’t cooking. (Chips, fajitas, guacamole, chimmichangas being some of the meal choices.)

I honestly don’t know if it’s possible for me to get sick of it…

Now, I’m sure you’ve already got your plans set in stone for today/tonight, but if you’re in need of a last minute refresher, look no further than these mango and Serrano chili daiquiris. Super simple to make and so SO good.

I don’t normally like frilly or super sweet drinks, and while these may appear to be incredibly sweet, they are actually quite tame and even have a little (ahem big) spicy kick to them.

They start off with a simple syrup made up of equal parts water and sugar. I split about five Serrano chilies and throw them in, bring the whole mixture to a boil, and then let it simmer until the sugar dissolves. The syrup needs to cool down before making the margaritas, and you can either let the serranos seep in there while they cool making for a spicier simple syrup, or remove them for a more mild spice factor. I left mine in, and it was HOT, but in a good way – totally a personally preference though.

The rest is pretty straightforward – frozen mango, ice, a little lime juice and the simple syrup is blended together and then topped off with a liberal hand of ice-cold vodka. If vodka isn’t your thing, you can use tequila or rum – either will work perfectly.

When you first take a sip you get that mildly sweet mango and simple syrup flavor, and then a few seconds in, the Serrano spice creeps up the back of your throat, making for a super hot finishing bite – by the time you take your second or third sip, your lips might start to feel a little tingly!

I hope you guys have a wonderful Cinco de Mayo, and if you’re going out, have fun and be safe!

I’ll be out on my screened-in porch, snacking on flautas and sipping on some Mexican cervezas….