Uh...maybe?
There's a couple common misperceptions about Cinco de Mayo. I'll be open to correction here. But I always hear it referred to as "Mexican Independence Day." Uh...nope. Cool idea and all, but seems, much like St Patrick's day, to be American appropriation of foreign culture with a big excuse to drink heavily. No disrespect to the actual meaning behind Cinco de Mayo, of course.
Listen, you don't need excuses to drink margaritas and eat tacos. And something that may go well in said margarita or alongside said taco is Trader Joe's Organic Jalapeño Limeade.
+1 to TJ's for not labelling it Trader Jose's.
As for the drink itself, it's interesting. In an interesting way. Admittedly, to my very gringo self, at first there was a "Mexican" vibe to it, mostly because nothing goes better with most Mexican dishes to me than a little spice and a little citrus lime twist. And that's more or less what the limeade tastes like - sweet limeade, without much bite, smoothly transitioning down to a spicy afterburn courtesy of the powdered jalapeños. The heat factor seems to waver a bit from sip to sip - some seem relatively mild, others with a deeper burn - but to my taste, never delved into unpleasant territory. Your mileage may vary, of course.
As a plus, that burn mixes nearly seamlessly with a little booze poured in. So there's that.
At this point, Sandy and I are both more or less indifferent. There's apparently a Minute Maid jalapeño lemonade that she prefers. Good chance I'll be drinking most of this, slowly but surely. I'm okay with that, but it'll last a while. Nothing much else to say, muchachos. Solid threes from us both.
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Organic Jalapeño Limeade: 6 out of 10 Golden Spoons
We think this makes a very quick and easy Margarita base! Use about 6 oz. mixed with 2 oz. silver tequila over ice. You could be fancy and add a little Cointreau or Triple Sec but it might detract from the hint of spicy. I wish they would bring back the mango margarita mix...sigh...
ReplyDeleteThx for the important test results. But, one more question: is it at least a GOOD margarita? (I'll probably test it out myself quite soon!)
DeleteAlso, for the mango thing, try TJ's mango lemonade w tequila. I like it better than the old mango marg mix, which was much too sweet imo.
I'm thinking this would be perfect blended with some ice and tequila..! Or even with a splash of seltzer as is for an interesting daytime sipping drink.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely pick some up!
Ttrockwood
let's call a spade a spade, this is a mixer.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's how I'm gonna test it. Might be a nice alternative to lemonade too.
DeleteOK, my verdict: This is a GREAT mixer for margaritas. Nice lime flavor, a bit of heat, definitely not too sweet but it blends with the tequila nicely for a smooth beverage. Add a splash of triple sec/cointreau and/or a splash of TJ's regular bitters for more citrus depth. I like this (and TJ's mango lemonade) a LOT more than bottled mixers, which tend to be way too sweet.
ReplyDeleteDo 1.5oz tequila, juice of one lime, splash of orange juice or orange liqueur or 2TBL of fresh squeezed Orange, 1/8-1/4 cup of the jalepeno limeade and you have a really great spicy margarita. I wouldn't use just the limeade. I prefer a more tart margarita than sweet and the limeade is pretty sweet.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to mix it with vodka - even cucumber vodka. Any drink mix ideas?
ReplyDeleteMix jalapeño lemonade with vodka...1:1 ratio. Tried tonight. Did the trick.
ReplyDeleteThis limeade does not have not jalapeno kick at all! Your better off making your own!!! Two thumbs down! Taste like regular limeade.
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DeleteHas anyone used it to cook with? Looking for recipes ideas
ReplyDelete