Frank Bruni, a former restaurant critic for The Times, came up with this drink at Ward III, a lounge in Tribeca that lets you choose the ingredients and qualities you want in a drink that’s then custom-made for you. It’s a lightly-sweet strawberry-tequila cocktail that gets a flicker of heat from the addition of jalapeño. It’s got summer written all over it.

Keep in mind that some jalapeño is hotter than others: it’s impossible to give a measure that will assure a specific degree of heat. So if you make the following recipe, go especially light on the jalapeño the first time around, and don’t overdo the ice in the shaker.

Ingredients

  • 2 strawberries
  • 1 small piece jalapeño (smaller than a grape)
  • ¼ ounce honey water (half-honey, half-water)
  • 1½ ounce tequila of choice
  • ½ ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 sprig cilantro
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (1 serving)

      112 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 0 grams protein; 2 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

1 cocktail

Preparation

  1. Muddle strawberries. Transfer to cocktail shaker, combine with other ingredients and a few ice cubes, and shake. Strain into short tumbler with fresh ice.

5 minutes

Dining and Cooking