Recipes for spicy cocktails

Cherry Pepper Martini

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 ounce Absolut Pepper Vodka or other pepper infused vodka
A few drops of grenadine
Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lime slice or a hot pepper.

Sweet and Spicy Rum Punch

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 ounce cranberry juice
1 ounce orange juice
2 ounces passion-fruit rum
1 ounce passion-fruit puree
1/4 ounce fresh ginger juice
8 seeds from a red Thai chile
3 pieces chopped red Thai chile
1/2 red Thai chile, sliced, for garnish
Nutmeg for garnish

Directions:
1. To make ginger juice add 1/2 cup sliced fresh ginger in a pot with 2 cups of water and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

2. Combine cranberry juice, orange juice, rum, passion fruit juice, ginger juice, chile seeds and chopped chile in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until fully combined and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg and chile peppers.

Homemade Pepper Vodka

Makes 1 whole bottle of vodka

Ingredients:
1 (750 ml) bottle of vodka
5 or 6 whole chiles, any kind (jalapenos, Serrano, habanero, etc.), washed and dried, halved lengthwise

Directions:
Pour vodka into a large bowl or jar. Slice peppers and add to vodka. Let soak for 7 to 10 days in a cool dark place. Strain vodka through a cheesecloth back into the empty vodka bottle.

More cold weather cocktails

New Years Eve cocktails
Colorful cocktails for the holidays
Christmas cognac cocktails