Spicy cocktails: Savory sips for home bartenders are taking over drink menus as mixologists push beyond classic spicy margaritas and bloody marys. Turner Greaves, bartender at New York’s Sip and Guzzle, explains that spice adds layers to drinks just like seasoning a steak. His creation, Doctor Green, combines tequila with tomatillo, green apple, shiso, and horseradish, and guests can dial up the heat using a spice dropper.
James Stevenson of London’s Brutes of Mayfair notes a shift from sweet cocktails toward savory options. His mezcal-based Bagheera uses fresh chile and coriander, complemented by a house-made tajin salt rim. Both bartenders favor agave spirits because their vegetal flavors pair naturally with chiles and salt.
Alex Lyoness of FlipDog creates depth using soy sauce, chile tincture, and a brine similar to a dirty martini, garnished with pickled turnip. He also adds Sichuan peppercorns and Timur berries for a numbing mouthfeel. Greaves recommends using ingredients like ginger, garlic, and cayenne to build balanced heat, and warns that spice should tingle the palate without burning the throat.
To finish, mix spices like coriander seed or black pepper with rock salt for a flavorful rim, or add freeze-dried fruit powder for sweetness. The movement toward spicy cocktails shows no signs of cooling down, offering home bartenders endless ways to create savory sips with a kick.