Spicy Hot Honey Blackberry Margarita

Spicy Margaritas are more popular than ever, but you can transform this fairly basic cocktail from ordinary to spectacular with a diy hot honey syrup and fresh berries.

This Hot Honey Blackberry Margarita is made with a reposado tequila (or mezcal if you want to go spicy + smoky!), freshly squeezed lime juice, Cointreau, and homemade hot honey syrup.

Hot Honey Blackberry Margarita ingredients:

• Tequila (reposado recommended)
• Hot honey syrup
• Cointreau (or orange liqueur of choice)
• Fresh lime juice
• Blackberries (fresh or frozen)

Hot honey syrup makes this Margarita stand out 

Hot honey is very easy to make at home, and you don’t have to buy any fancy ingredients or equipment or spend a lot of time waiting for it to infuse. Head over to my Hot Honey Syrup recipe to get all the details plus three quick and easy ways to make it! 

The classic Margarita is made with tequila, triple sec (orange liqueur), and lime juice. This recipe replaces about half of the triple sec with hot honey syrup, which lends a nice amount of heat plus the floral, caramel-like flavor of wildflower honey. Honey pairs especially well with aged tequilas, like the Hiatus Reposado I used here.

Why I like to use reposado in this recipe

Reposado tequilas are aged for anywhere between two months and one year. The time spent resting in oak barrels gives this earthy, often vegetal spirit some caramel or vanilla notes along with floral or spice flavors like cinnamon. The characteristic flavors and sweetness of honey complement these aged flavors perfectly. 

Although a reposado is my first choice here, it’s not mandatory. Feel free to use a blanco tequila or a mezcal instead if that’s what you have on hand. It will still taste great! 

Fresh limes and fresh or frozen berries

Freshly squeezed lime juice is a requirement for a good Margarita. It really makes all the difference. This recipe also calls for a few fresh blackberries. It’s totally fine to use frozen blackberries though, just pour your liquid ingredients over them in the shaker to help them thaw a little before muddling.

This spicy Margarita is also excellent with strawberries when they’re in season. I first made a version of this recipe a couple of years ago and made it with El Silencio Mezcal.

If you’re new to mezcal, I highly recommend trying El Silencio, as it’s not too smoky or funky, as some mezcals can be. It’s very versatile and great in Margaritas like this one. 

You might also like the mezcal cocktail Naked & Famous.

My first version of this recipe included the berries in the hot honey syrup, but now I prefer to muddle the fruit directly into each drink for a fresh berry flavor (rather than a cooked, jammy flavor). Check out the video below to see that cocktail.

Make it a mocktail

Yes, you can enjoy the flavors of a spicy Margarita sans alcohol! While I don’t have an easy replacement for the flavor of the tequila, you can make a delicious version of this drink without any booze.

Simply skip the tequila, add one ounce of water to the cocktail shaker, and after you strain the drink over ice, add another ounce or two of chilled sparkling or still water. I love to use the extra bubbly Topo Chico. If you want a non-alcoholic spicy Paloma, try my Hot Honey Grapefruit Soda!

You might also enjoy these other tequila recipes:

• Fresh Strawberry Margarita
• Tommy’s Margarita
• Perfect Frozen Margaritas
• Coconut Orange Blossom Anejo Margarita
• Strawberry Paloma