Skip to main content

How to make a Spicy Cempasúchil cocktail (hint: it involves infused tequila)

YaVe pepper cocktail.
YaVe

Hispanic Heritage Month is coming in fast. To celebrate, we’re raising a glass to the 20 Spanish-speaking countries on the map, as well as the countless Latinx communities that reside here in the states. And that calls for a good beverage.

We thought we’d try something that honors Mexico. It’s a cocktail featuring chili-infused tequila and named after a plant native to Guatemala and Mexico. It’s called the Spicy Cempasúchil and you can make it a home.

Recommended Videos

Now, we’re aware that autumn is coming. It’s a bittersweet time that involves some pivoting and saying farewell to the longer, carefree days of summer. But there’s excitement to it as well.

New flavors come back in style, like baking spices. This cocktail offers a bit of those notes, while still honoring the sunny nature of summer. To put it bluntly, it’s a great cocktail recipe for right now.

YaVe Tequila set us up with the cocktail idea. Read on for the full recipe.

Spicy Cempasúchil

There are so many comforting flavors at work here, from the spice of the cinnamon and tequila to the citrus.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces YaVe Jalapeño Tequila
  • 3/4 ounce orange liqueur (e.g., Cointreau)
  • 3/4 ounce cinnamon syrup
  • 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
  • Citrus peel twist or marigold petal for garnish

Method:

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously and strain into a chilled rocks glass.
2. Garnish with a citrus twist or a few marigold petals.

We’ve got features and how to’s. Check out our agave spirits guide to get a better handle on subject.

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
How PATRON does a spritz, an ideal Labor Day Weekend drink
Tequila, meet aperitivo
PATRON spritz table.

Labor Day Weekend is so close you can practically see it. The three-day weekend offers a great time to reminisce on adventures of the summer and make plans for the fall ahead. It's also a great time to relax, cocktail in hand.

Tequila continues to surge in the drinks world and we're not surprised. The dynamic agave spirit can feature well in all kinds of drinks, from simple Ranch Water recipes to more involved riffs on classic cocktails. It's a spirit you should have on hand during long holiday weekends.

Read more
What the 2025 Spirited Awards tell us about the future of cocktails
Creative bars, Spanish style, tropical flavors, and more
Cocktail

Tales of the Cocktail has come and gone in 2025 and left us with a clearer portrait of the state of mixology. The latest cocktail trends change on a dime but this annual gathering in New Orleans tends to reveal some of the biggest themes in the game. While we might be able to officially say goodbye to the espresso Martini, at least for now, we can also embrace a few other emerging factors.

TOTC's annual competition is called the Spirited Awards. Winners this year spanned the country as well as various niches within the industry at large. It was the 19th installment of the awards, put on by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and considered to be The Oscars of the bar world.

Read more
2 must-try bourbon cocktails for Bourbon Heritage Month in September
Drinks that spotlight bourbon and the brand's Tennessee roots
Cortado cocktail.

There's a lot of talk of autumn these days. Really, we're still living in the moment, embracing summer beer releases and eagerly awaiting fresh hop season. But alas, fall is in fact on its way.

It's bittersweet, but the new seasons brings with it some pleasant transitions. One is the pivot towards more substantial food, whether that's a pot roast in the kitchen or a rye whiskey cocktail at the bar. So, when Bib & Tucker dropped a new bourbon infused with coffee, we couldn't help but excited about some of those transitional beverages that move seamlessly from one season to the next.

Read more