Asha's Smoky Peach Margarita with Chaat Masala

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A staple at Diaspora Co. team happy hours, this spicy-smoky-sweet libation is at its most perfect when made with the juiciest, dreamiest, peak-season stone fruit. The cocktail gets its sunny warmth from a peach shrub, which combines honeyed Frog Hollow peaches (though you can use whatever stone fruit looks best at the time!), our house Chaat Masala, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and green chillies for a kiss of verdant heat.

Shaking up cocktails for a crowd? You can batch these smoky margaritas ahead of time! If I am shaking them to order, I will just increase the recipe by 6- to 10-fold. If I am batching these out to have out in a pitcher and just pour over ice without shaking — shaking not only chills the drink, but it also dilutes slightly — I add ¼ ounce filtered water per cocktail serving (i.e. if I quadruple the recipe, I'll add 1 ounce filtered water).

Ingredients

1 ounce silver tequila
½ ounce mezcal
1½ ounces Spicy Peach Shrub
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Pinch of sea salt, plus more for finishing
Ice
Club soda (optional)
Chaat Masala, for finishing
Powdered Sirārakhong Hāthei Chillies, for finishing

Methods

Place the tequila, mezcal, peach shrub, orange juice, lime juice, and pinch of salt in a cocktail shaker with a generous amount of ice. Seal and shake until the outside of the shaker feels icy.
Strain the shaken cocktail into a lowball glass filled with ice, and top with a splash of club soda, if using. You can finish the drink one of two ways: First, simply garnish with a sprinkle of chaat masala, flaky sea salt, and Sirārakhong Hāthei Chillies. Or, you can mix some chaat masala and Sirārakhong Hāthei Chillies together, rub the rim of the glass with a little lime juice and dip it into the spicy chaat masala mixture, then finish the drink with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top. Enjoy immediately — cheers!