1 cup raw sugar
1 ½ cups of water
3 star anise pods
10 whole green cardamom pods
1 3” cinnamon stick
25 whole back peppercorns
3 bay leaves
15 whole coriander seeds
1 hatch chile, halved (leave the seeds and pith for added heat!)
For the margaritas:
3-4 small (about 1 inch) pieces raw hatch chile
4 oz quality tequila (silver or reposado)
4 oz freshly squeezed and strained lime juice
4 oz hatch chile simple syrup
ice
For the hatch chile simple syrup: Place all of the ingredients for the simple syrup in a saucepan on the stove and bring to a quick boil. Remove from heat and allow the ingredients to steep for an hour or so. Strain the cooled syrup through a fine strainer to a glass container. For the Margaritas: Optional: wet the rims of 2 glasses and dip in ground cinnamon and/or smoked salt. Muddle the fresh hatch chili in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add ice to the shaker and 2 ounces each of simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and tequila. Shake vigorously and strain into the rimmed glasses filled with ice.
Notes:
1. Store simple syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 5 days.
2. Not Hatch chile season? Use anaheim peppers or jalapeños instead.
3. This margarita has a dark color due to the raw sugar in the simple syrup and tequila reposado. If you want a more traditional (clear/pale green) look, use white sugar in the simple syrup and tequila blanco.
4 Fresh-squeezed lime juice is always key! You can squeeze it a few hours in advance, but no more than a day as lime juice will lose flavor as it sits.
5. Quality tequila is important for flavor and for avoiding a headache! I like reposado in this recipe, but a good silver tequila (tequila blanco) works too.