🌶️ Spicy Blackberry Margarita

Why a Blackberry Margarita?

You might be wondering — why a blackberry margarita? It sounds like an odd twist on a classic. Well, it all started when our team at Ficks found ourselves with about 20,000 pounds of pure pressed blackberry juice from the Pacific Northwest — beautiful, fresh juice from Oregon berries. 

At the time, I (Mike) happened to be visiting Austin, TX, for the Austin City Limits music festival. While at the JW Marriott bar, I ordered a pomegranate margarita. The color was so vibrant and natural that I turned to a friend and said, “This is the best color I’ve ever seen in a cocktail.” Even better, it was made without any artificial dyes or additives. That’s when it clicked — we had all this blackberry juice waiting for a purpose.

When I got back to San Francisco, I got to work developing a blackberry margarita. A great margarita always comes down to a few essentials: a blend of citrus (ideally from a variety of sources, not just lime), a touch of sweetness, and, of course, good tequila. For our version, the sweetness and character came naturally from the blackberry juice. We combined blackberry, lime, a hint of orange extract, and other natural ingredients to create a delicious, lower-sugar blackberry margarita.

This particular recipe takes it a step further by adding a little spice. Muddling fresh blackberries and jalapeño gives the drink extra depth and a bit of a kick — and it pairs perfectly with a crisp blanco tequila.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
•1.5 oz tequila (blanco or reposado)
•3 oz Ficks Blackberry Margarita Mix
•2–3 fresh blackberries
•2–3 slices of fresh jalapeño
•Ice
•Tajín or salt, for rimming the glass
•Lime wedge for garnish

Instructions:
1. Rim your glass with lime and dip it into Tajín or salt. Set aside.
2. In a shaker, muddle the blackberries and jalapeño slices gently (enough to release flavor but not over-pulverize).
3. Add tequila, Ficks Blackberry Margarita Mix, and ice.
4. Shake for about 15 seconds.
5. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
6. Garnish with a lime wedge, extra blackberry, and a jalapeño slice.

Quick Tip:
For extra spice, shake in a dash of chili bitters or muddle some habanero for some extreme heat!