Horchata Margarita by Muy Bueno Cookbook
We’ve teamed up with Muy Bueno Cookbook to pair two very delicious Mexican traditions: horchata and tequila. What a combo.
What the heck is horchata, you ask? Its roots are traced back to Northern Africa when it was made from tiger nuts (chufa) that were soaked, ground and sweetened. This version is now referred to as horchata de chufa and is still popular in African countries and Spain.
As many delicious beverages do, horchata made its way over to the Americas and evolved to include white rice and cinnamon as a replacement for tiger nuts. Now, horchata is a very popular beverage to pair with authentic Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex food–perhaps as a counter-balance to the spicy flavors of the Latin region.
Although its appearance is milky white, there is generally no dairy in horchata–the color and consistency come from the ground and strained rice.
But while the reward is sweet, the process to make horchata can be time-consuming, and to quote Muy Bueno, “Ain’t nobody got time for that, when a cocktail is in order.” So this delicious horchata margarita recipe is made with vanilla rice milk for a quick, easy and dairy-free cocktail.
Due to 6 months of aging, Exotico Reposado has a natural sweetness, with hints of vanilla, caramel and cinnamon, making it a perfect choice for this combo.
INGREDIENTS:
Agua de Horchata:
- 1 c. Water
- 1 c. Granulated Sugar
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Cloves
- 1¼ c Vanilla Rice Milk
- Ground Cinnamon, for Garnish
Horchata Margarita:
- 4 oz. Cinnamon-infused Simple Syrup and Rice Milk
- 2 oz. Exotico Reposado Tequila
- ½ oz. Almond Liqueur
- Raw Sugar for Rim
INSTRUCTIONS:
Agua de Horchata:
- Bring water to a boil over high heat, add sugar and mix while it melts, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add cinnamon sticks and cloves, cover, and let steep for about 30 minutes.
- Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves.
- In a mason jar combine cinnamon-infused simple syrup and rice milk.
Horchata Margarita:
- Coat the rim of a glass with raw sugar, and set aside.
- Add horchata, tequila, and liqueur to a shaker and fill with ice.
- Shake, and strain into prepared glass filled with ice. Garnish with ground cinnamon.
See more about this recipe here. And if you’re interested in making horchata the authentic way, check out Muy Bueno’s post here.
