Spicy drinks are having a moment, as witnessed by the recent viral TikTok trend encouraging the addition frozen jalapeño slices to Sauvignon Blanc. (Did anyone try it?) Restaurants and bars are jumping on board, adding piquant new concoctions to their menus crafted with hot mixes and pepper-infused spirits, and going over the top with spicy garnishes like Tajin, Chamoy, and fresh jalapeños. Here are five places to try some fiery cocktails that will bring the heat in September.
Casa Rita
This Barbie-pink, drive-thru-only drink stand in North Side (1445 N. Main St.) serves frozen margaritas and spicy micheladas to-go seven days a week. Chamoy – a popular Mexican spicy sauce made with chiles and lime – is big here. All frozen margaritas, from the Rita Colada to the purple-hued Frozen Froggy, can be bottled with a heaping Chamoy floater. Micheladas are served with choice of beer (Modelo, Dos Equis, Corona, Miller Lite, or Elite 8) and a thick rim of zesty Tajin. The spicy michelada mix is also available on its own in 32-ounce or a half-gallon bottle for home bartending.
Dizzy Micheladas
Loyal customers will drive in from as far as Irving, Farmers Branch, and beyond for a taste of Mexican-style micheladas from this Fort Worth-based food truck fleet, which has locations at 1300 W. Seminary Dr., 121 N. Beach St., and 106 W. Long Ave. (There’s also a pop-up location in Dallas at 11253 Harry Hines Blvd.) Micheladas here are as authentic as they come, made with lime juice, salt, housemade spicy mix (now sold in select Mexican grocers around town for home use), and elaborate garnishes like shrimp cocktail skewers, thick cut cucumbers, and beef jerky. But here’s the kicker: customers must add their own cerveza. The extra step doesn’t seem to deter business – Dizzy Micheladas has a reputation for serving some of the best micheladas in North Texas.
El Chingon
Based in San Diego with a location in Fort Worth’s West 7th district and a third outlet coming soon to Dallas, this “Bad Ass Mexican” concept is a bar and restaurant by day and sizzling dance club by sunset. Presentation for cocktails is extravagant, with hefty schooners slathered in spicy Chamoy sauce, dressed with Tajin, and topped with chili powder-coated paletas or chewy tamarind straws. On the Monday through Friday happy hour menu, find the spicy Super Sandia ($14) – a half watermelon served with two Chamoy- and Tajín-dressed cans of Modelo, watermelon chunks, Chamoy tamarind straws, limes, and homemade michelada mix. Or share the Camarones Borrachos ($28) – five cans of Chamoy- and Tajín-rimmed Modelo, each topped with shrimp and a lime and served on bed of tortilla chips smothered in mango habanero ceviche.
The Bearded Lady/Facebook
The Bearded Lady spicy margarita brings the heat.
Mi Cocina
Mambo Taxis, with their signature swirled layers of Sauza Blanco frozen margarita and sangria, have been a mainstay in Fort Worth’s margarita scene for more than 25 years. Now Mi Cocina has introduced the Spicy Mambo, a piquant play on the local favorite made with fresh jalapeño and rimmed with Tajin seasoning. Other fiery concoctions include the Spicy Frozen Margarita and the Handmade Spicy Margarita, both also infused with jalapeños and rimmed with Tajin; and the new Mezcalrita, made with local La Pulga Mezcal, pineapple juice, lime, and more Tajin. Mi Cocina has three locations in Fort Worth, including the original in Sundance Square, Chapel Hill (with its popular second floor bar), and Alliance, along with a location in Southlake.
The Bearded Lady
The spicy margarita – this one made with fresh lime juice, jalapeño slices, and habanero-based Firewater bitters – was only a recent addition to The Bearded Lady's menu as the drink was a hit at a special event last fall. The cocktail brings the heat, as does Bearded Lady’s signature “Queen Mary” bloody Mary made with red pepper-infused vodka. Micheladas are poured with choice of local Mexican-style beers, like Rahr & Sons Adios Pantalones or HopFusion Ale Works Tejano Lager. Also try it with Martin House Brewing Company’s Best Maid Sour Pickle Beer, a local favorite for micheladas.
