The first day a spring. Who doesn’t love this time of year? I start dreaming about all things fresh. Fresh air, fresh flowers, produce, freshly organized home. It really is a happy time – and it’s also when I’m totally inspired by shades of green. Everything in spring begins with a shade of green first – the grass, tree buds, spring bulb flower buds. With all that in mind, I decided to create a cocktail to celebrate the new season with its many shades of green. This recipe isn’t too far from the original, I just gave it a twist of freshness with some added spring flavors. Cheers to the season – enjoy these springtime margaritas made with spicy simple syrup.

Ingredients for Springtime Margaritas

Serves 8, one pitcher

Simple Syrup

• 3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced (grab the burpless English variety)
• 2 jalapeño, thinly sliced (add more if you like it hot)
• Bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

The Cocktail

• 1.5 cups tequila blanco
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup simple syrup (or to taste)
• Ice
• Salt for the the glasses
• Lime wedges and snap peas for garnish

To Make:

Add sugar to a sauce pan. Cover with the cup of water. Add bunch of chopped cilantro to the pan (if you are into this flavor add as much as you want – if you are a hater, you can skip this ingredient altogether). Slice the cucumbers and jalapeños. You can rid of the jalapeño seeds, or keep a few around for the extra kick. Add the sliced cucumbers and jalapeños into a bowl and gently muddle to release some of those flavors. Add the muddled concoction to the sugar water and simmer until sugar is dissolved, plus a little longer to continue to steep the flavors. At this point, flavor check the simple syrup and decide if it works for you. Pull off the burner when you’re satisfied and let cool.

Add ice to your pitcher. Trust me, the water from the ice will not dilute the amount of tequila you are about to add – but if you’re worried, add the ice to the individual glasses instead. Rim your glasses with lime and dip in salt. To the pitcher, add the tequila, lime juice and simple syrup. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into glasses and garnish with snap peas and a jalapeño. After the peas have sat in the margarita, they taste amazing – so fresh. Enjoy!