Happy Your Thanksgiving - with Tequila!

Hello again, friends, it's been a while. The Life of Riley management team decided to put business on hold, sell their house on a whim, place everything in storage and go rogue. So, we've taken a leave from the posts for a little bit - a long bit, actually.

I'm no liquor historian, but in my mind tequila is simply as American as pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving - and 100% necessary for dealing with whomever you are hosting. We've run across this ghost pepper infused tequila at a few restaurants, and finally located it in the store, so decided to come up with something new.

There has not been much cocktail-ing in our lives recently, what with everything going on - and 80% of our stuff in storage or distributed throughout the southeastern U.S. So, when it came time to mix up a new one, we realized we had no shaker, jigger, or really anything else to work with.

Since I am basically MacGyver, but with better hair, I dashed to the cupboard and retrieved a mason jar and a tablespoon. With some quick mental math (2 TBSP equals roughly 1 ounce), and cunning precision, we had a cocktail suitable for any occasion. Even the Wednesday before a holiday. 

Had I been locked in a walk-in freezer and forced to fashion a pick from the tablespoon to escape, I feel fairly confident I could have done that. Fortunately, our freezer just had fresh ice and is too small for me to get locked in.

Spicy Blackberry Margarita

4 tablespoons Ghost tequila

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon simple syrup

splash of Grand Marnier, or 1/2 tbsp if you're a stickler for measurements

2 muddled blackberries

Put it in a Mason jar with some ice and shake gently for 30 seconds.

Pour it, ice and all, over fresh ice in a Rocks Glass.

Stay resourceful, my friends.

Image courtesy of the Phoenix Foundation.