Is it summer yet? I am pretending that it is and I am going full force into it. I am even going to get my ‘JLo in Miami’ bathing suit out…not that you need to see that, but hey, you gotta go wild or go home.

Speaking of wild, let’s talk about this cocktail. So, last year while traveling with friends in Mexico City (my hometown AND the best city in the world, ahem..) I went to this mezcaleria that served the most amazing cocktails. One of my fave was this one made with strawberry juice. Now, I didn’t ask exactly for the ingredients, but I took the inspo from that drink and made my own version here at home.

You may think that the flavour combo of strawberry and beet is gross, but hooooold on you little picky princess; the beet juice tones down the sweetness of the strawberries and it goes really well with the smokiness of the mezcal, it’s a very earthy flavour that makes it more cocktail-y and less smoothie-ish. Together with an extra kick of chili powder make this whole thing a happy hour special.

Grab your blender and come over to the kitchen!

The Oaxacan Slushie: Mezcal, Strawberry, Lime, and Beet Juice, Chili powder

Makes 4

Ingredients
– 4 cups of ice
– 1 cup fresh strawberries, very ripe and sweet, cut in half
– 1/2 cup fresh beet juice (you can buy it at any juice shop nowadays too)
– 1/4 cup lime juice
– 2 tablespoons agave syrup
– 5 shots of mezcal (I say you start with 5 and taste and add more if you need)
– Chili powder (I recommend using ‘Tajin’ which is a Mexican brand, but also a mix of 3 tablespoons of regular chili powder and 1 tablespoon of salt will work as well).
– Mint for garnish

Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until nice and slushy. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. I like mine a bit more on the sour/earthy tasting side.
2. Rim the edge of each glass with some lime juice and dip in chili powder.
3. Pour the slushy and – if you want – you can add 1/2 a shot of mezcal right on top to make it extra boozy and get a kick on the first sip, but you can leave as is.
4. Sprinkle a touch of chili powder on top of the slushy
5. Garnish with mint and strawberries and enjoy!!

Make this drink for your next BBQ party and you’ll be the most popular gal or guy in town, for reals!

Salud! :P