Spicy Tamarindo Recipe

Place tamarind pulp and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, breaking up the pulp with a spoon. Simmer 8–10 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Remove from heat. Mash the softened pulp against the side of the pan or use a fork to help release the tamarind into the liquid. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard seeds and fibers.

While still warm, stir in the granulated sugar until dissolved. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Cool to room temperature, then transfer to a bottle and refrigerate. Syrup will keep 2–3 weeks refrigerated.

Prepare glass

Combine Tajin and coarse sea salt on a small plate. Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass, then dip the rim into the seasoning to coat. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.

If using egg white: add egg white to a cocktail shaker and dry-shake (no ice) vigorously for 10–15 seconds to emulsify.

Add mezcal (2 oz), fresh orange juice (1 oz), tamarindo syrup (1 oz), fresh lime juice (0.5 oz), and chile liqueur/tincture (0.25 oz, optional) to the shaker. Add ice (about 6 cubes).

Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well-chilled and diluted. If you used egg white earlier, this will create a frothy texture; otherwise just shake to chill.

Double-strain the cocktail into the prepared rimmed rocks glass over fresh ice (large cube or crushed, per preference).

Garnish with a dried chile pequin or a thin slice of fresh chile for heat, and an orange twist. Serve immediately.