Margarita lovers, draw near—this cocktail is for you! Fig Margaritas are the Cinco de Mayo cocktail you’ve been waiting for, so add it to this year’s Cinco de Mayo menu.
Spice Up Your Cinco de Mayo Menu
Ginger packs in the punch of heat and when paired with sweet figs, they are the basis for a Cinco de Mayo cocktail that will make your holiday extra special.
Plan ahead because you’ll need to soak the Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Dried Figs in mezcal for a week until they are nice and plump and the mezcal has taken on their figgy flavor. The good news? The fig-infused mezcal lasts for up to a month, so once the waiting is over, you’ll have sweet, smoky, gingered fig margaritas to sip on all month long, or at least until the mezcal runs out.
Fig Margarita: On the Rocks or Blended
The fig margarita recipe below is served on the rocks, but you could easily make this a blended margarita by combining all ingredients in a blender instead of a shaker with 2 cups of ice. Blend until ice is slushy and enjoy!
Food for a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Some dishes we particularly like eating with fig margaritas for Cinco de Mayo, summer cookouts, long weekends and beyond include braised guajillo lamb tostadas, fig Mexican pulled pork tacos, chicken mole verde, roasted pork with spicy fig sauce, and creamy chicken enchiladas with jamaica mole.
Fig Margarita: a Cinco de Mayo Cocktail
Ingredients
Fig-Infused Mezcal
- 1 cup Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed and sliced
- 1 3/4 cup mezcal
Ginger Syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger peeled and chopped
Fig Margaritas
- 2 ounces Fig-infused Mezcal
- 1/2 ounce Ginger Syrup
- juice of 1 lime
- ice
Garnishes
- coarse salt
- lime wedges
- orange wedges
- Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs
Instructions
Make Fig-Infused Mezcal:
- Combine figs and mezcal in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal and leave at room temperature to infuse for 1 week.
- Pour into a blender, blend until figs are completely puréed. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup. Press on the solids to extract all mezcal. You should have about 1 cup of Fig-Infused Mezcal.
- Use right away or keep in a tightly-sealed container for up to a month at room temperature.
Make Ginger Syrup:
- Combine all the ingredients for the ginger syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and steep until cool. Strain out the ginger.
- Use right away or keep in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Make Fig Margaritas:
- Rub a lime or orange wedge on the rim of a cocktail glass. Dip in coarse salt and fill glass with ice.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Fig-Infused Mezcal, Ginger Syrup, and lime juice. Shake vigorously. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with a California Dried fig, an orange wedge and a lime wedge. ¡Salúd!