The universe of cocktails is diverse and goes far beyond flavors and colors, but it also denotes cultural differences. The Mexican Candy Shot recipe is another drink that has been receiving much attention for its strong and exquisite colors in the recent past. A delicious, tropical, hot-tasting Mexican food shot combination of sweet, sour, and hot into one, creating an ideal shot glass drink. If you are still a novice behind the bar or just want to experiment in your home bar, this shot can be premade rather quickly, is versatile, and will be enjoyed by every guest.
In this article, I will detail how to prepare a Mexican Candy Shot recipe, its origins, and some distinctions, as well as some knowledge on recipe adjustments for an ideal cocktail concoction.
The Origin of the Mexican Candy Shot Recipe
Mexican food has so many flavors they use in their dishes; En Chile – mole that filled with tastes, and Tamarind candy is sweet and sour. Therefore, Mexican Candy Shots can be considered as a manifestation of this sort of variety in essence they replicate the sweet and spicy themes of Mexican desserts.
Some people thought of the shot with the Mexican watermelon candies filled with chilies like Pulparindo and Pelon Pelo Rico. These candies have a sweet taste at first, with a spurt of hot spiciness that is similar to the sensation that one feels when taking the Mexican candy shot.
It is not clear when this drink began, but it probably began in bars close to the Mexican border where cultures fuse together and producers start to create new and unique cocktails. People got hooked with this shot due to the creativity of the taste and the fun way it was presented – topped with chili powder or Tajín.
Key Ingredients for the Mexican Candy Shot Recipe
To mix a perfect Mexican Candy Shot Recipe, you must get hold of a few basic ingredients that reflect the sweet-sour-spiciness of the drink. Here’s what you’ll typically need:
1. Watermelon Schnapps or Watermelon Flavored Liqueur
The botan flavor most associated with the Mexican Candy Shot is watermelon, thanks to ubiquitous Mexican watermelon candies. Some requirements are inexorable and cannot be ignored: Watermelon Schnapps or watermelon-flavored liqueur is a necessity. They are sweet and serve as the base of a drink.
2. Tequila
And what could a Mexican-inspired drink be without tequila? The spirit is silky, sweet with flavors of the agave, and packs quite a punch making this shot interesting and rather real. A Blanco tequila is what is usually encouraged because of its neat and refreshing taste.
3. Tajin or Chili Powder
Mexican candies carry heat and the most typical way of adding this flavor is either by putting chili powder or Tajín around the edge of the glass or even within the drink itself. Tajín the Mexican seasoning made from dried ground chili peppers, salt, and lime would be ideal to help offset the sugars.
4. Lime Juice
A shot of lime juice rounds the taste up adding a citrus accent to perfectly complement the schnapps and tequila.
5. Hot Sauce
The ‘real fire’ in this shot, as it turns out, comes from one spoon of hot sauce. Any type can be used, however for extra seasoning and true to the recipe hot sauce, one can use either Valentina or Cholula hot sauces.
6. Simple Syrup (Optional)
In some versions of the Mexican Candy Shot, however, simple syrup may be added to increase the amount of sweetness of the drink – though it depends on the sweetness of the schnapps or liqueur used.
7. Ice
Although it’s a shot, you will prefer to mix to shake it with ice to ensure that it gets cold before serving.
Classic Mexican Candy Shot Recipe
That being said, let us proceed to the recipe properly modernized from the traditional Mexican Candy Shot. This recipe will allow you to create a perfectly balanced shot that is bitter-sweet, sour, spicy, and perfect.
Ingredients- Mexican Candy Shot recipe:
1 ounce watermelon schnapps, or watermelon-flavored liqueur
1 oz. silver tequila
½ oz. lime juice
Mix hot sauce (to taste)
Tajin, or chili powder (to line the glass)
Ice cubes
Instructions – Mexican Candy Shot recipe:
Step 1: Prepare the Shot Glass
Initially, wet the edge of your shot glass by putting Tajín or chili powder on it. In order to do this wet the rim of the glass with lime juice, and then proceed to dip the glass into a plate of Tajín or chili powder. Set the glass aside.
Step 2: Mix the Ingredients
In a shaker cup mix together watermelon schnapps water, tequila lime juice and hot sauce. Fill the shaker with ice.
Step 3: Shake it Up
Combine well by shaking the tip of the cocktail vigorously for some 15-20 seconds. The purpose is to cool the ingredients and to compound them properly.
Step 4: Strain and Serve
I highly recommend that you strain the mixture into the prepared shot glass. Or you may spoon a small wedge of watermelon or chili pepper in the center of the design as garnishing.
Step 5: Enjoy!
Open your mouth and shoot the juice while experiencing the first explosion of sweetness which is then followed by some sharp sourness and in the end a warm spiciness.
Variations of the Mexican Candy Shot recipe
Although we already love the Mexican Candy Shot as it is, bartenders and cocktail lovers celebrate their creativity by adding several modifications that people might enjoy. Let’s explore a few popular options:
1. Strawberry Mexican Candy Shot
If you don’t like watermelon, you can simply replace the watermelon schnapps with strawberry schnapps or any liqueur with a strawberry flavor. Otherwise, the mixture remains the same, the strawberry adds a little more complex sweetness in comparison with the watermelon.
Mango Mexican Candy Shot
Mango, another Mexican candy favorite, is attractive in this shot too. Just substitute mango-flavored schnapps for watermelon schnapps and you’ve got a nice tropical change of pace from the original.
Tamarind Mexican Candy Shot
If you want to be more Mexican than Mexican, substitute tamarind syrup or tamarind-flavored liqueur for the watermelon schnapps. Although unusual, the sweet tangy taste of tamarind complements the flavors of tequila and hot sauce creating a colorful, fun, and tasty shot.
Spiked watermelon Mexican candy shot is made using watermelon tequila mixed with triple sec liqueur, Mexican candy, and fresh watermelon juice.
For those desiring to increase the alcoholic content after blending, it might be wise to include vodka in the mixture. This will enhance the kick on the shot without masking out other ingredients on the same shot. Just a reminder, however, to shake it up with a bit more lime juice or simple syrup should do the trick.
Frozen Mexican Candy Shot
As for the Summer Parties or BBQs, you can ice-blend the Mexican Candy Shot ingredients so as not to dilute this drink. This leads to a very nice, slushie-like shot which is great for the hot summer time.
Tips for Perfecting the Mexican Candy Shot recipe
While the recipe for a Mexican Candy Shot is fairly simple, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to ensure it turns out perfect every time:
Balance the Spice
When adding hot sauce use a small amount then taste the food to determine if it’s enough. It’s even easier to bring more heat in a relationship, but very difficult to turn the heat down once it has been introduced. One can also choose the type of hot sauce he or she wants; a medium hot sauce or a hot hot sauce.
Use Fresh Ingredients
It is very important to always make lime juice fresh instead of using stored lime juice that has been stored in the bottle. The lime juice gives the drink a fresh taste and the addition of the juice reduces the effects of the sweetness of pineapple.
Chill Everything
First of all, your tequila and schnapps should be chilled really well before you make the shot. This is however achieved in the hope of making the drink to remainiced and cool all the time it is being consumed, though in a limited quantity all the same.
. Get Creative with Garnishes
While the classic topper uses Tajín or chili powder at the edge, you can step up your creativity, especially in the production of a fanciful outcome by adding some fruits or even flowers in a bowl that are meant to be eaten.
5. Experiment with Proportions
That being said, if you are a fan of tequila rather ramp up tequila content slightly while lessening the schnapps content. The same goes for schnapps, so if you’d like a sweeter shot, pour in more schnapps or even a little simple syrup.
Serving Suggestions and Pairings
The Mexican Candy Shot is playful and may be served anytime and anywhere you want; it can be perfect for parties with a theme. Here are a few ideas for how to serve and pair this shot:
Themed Mexican Parties
The Mexican Candy Shot recipe can decorate any fiesta or the Cinco de Mayo celebration as it is a remarkable Alicia Secret recipe. Accompany them with other staple Mexican drinks like margaritas and micheladas, and foods that now can also include corn on the cob, guacamole, and tacos.
Pre-Dinner Shots
Mexican Candy Shot recipe can be served as a WELCOME SHOTS during a dinner party. These drinks will perk the taste buds and would be perfect for starting up a meal with a richer course.
Sweet Treat Pairing
Because the shot is born with a candy shot, you can accompany the real Mexican fruit with chamoy or candied fruits and spiced candies called dulces enchilados. I think that spicy, tangy, and sweet flavors will complement each other to produce an explosive taste sensation.
Summer BBQs
If you’re having a summer BBQ kind of party, bring out these shots as a perfect addition to the grilled foods and spice up your party.
Conclusion
Cointreau, orange liqueur, is replaced with tequila, and the Grenadine is replaced with sweet and sour mix to give the Mexican Candy Shot recipe cocktail that distinctive Mexican flavor of sweet, sour, and a hint of spiciness. The original recipe for this shot is quite simple, but expanding on this formula can make this a spectacular party drink. This is not astounding since the dengue vaccine consists of simple ingredients.
