Almond Milk Margarita aka Lazy Man’s Horchata Margarita

We discovered a little bar a few blocks away from us called Dick and Jane’s.  It’s been there for three years but we never knew it as it’s tucked away on a side street behind thick, black wooden barn doors.  They serve a cocktail there called Tigre Blanco which is a horchata margarita.  Horchata is a sweet, rice-based Mexican drink.  The bartender lines the rim of the glass with a smoky, limey salt similar to my favorite cabinet dweller, Tajin, a lime and chili infused salt.  I used and raved about Tajin in this corn salad last summer.  

The Tigre Blanco is slighly creamy, pleasantly frothy and makes me feel as if I’m eating spicy barbeque with a milkshake.  It’s really odd and really good and I dream about it every weekend.  Dick and Jane’s isn’t open before 7PM (except sometimes when it opens at 4PM and seems like a mirage), so when I want a similar taste on a warm Saturday afternoon on the porch, I make this lazy man’s version because I can't find horchata and I didn't feel like making it.  Of course, if you have access to horchata or you make your own, please replace the almond milk below with horchata.  I’m sure you can use a sweetened rice milk for this recipe as well.  Cheers...

RECIPE

Makes 1 cocktail

1 teaspoon Tajin, for the glass rim
Juice from 1/4 a lime, for the glass rim
1 massive ice cube, or a bunch of small ones
3 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon orange liquer
1/2 cup homemade almond milk (or good quality store-bought kind made with almonds, water and not much else)
 

1. Add the Tajin to a small plate.

2. Slice through the middle of the wedge of lime and fit the lime over your serving glass, running the lime around the rim to wet it.  Set the lime aside which you can use as a garnish later if you wish.

3. Dip the rim of the glass into the Tajin until it’s coated evenly.

4. Add the ice cube(s) to the glass.

5. In a cocktail shaker or mason jar, add the tequila, orange liquer and almond milk (and you can add a few squeezes of lime in there too if you want).  Seal it and shake it well.

6. Pour the drink over the ice and enjoy outside!