As the Woman spoke, the orange Man with the scarecrow hair leaned into the microphone and muttered, “Such a Nasty Woman.” All over the world, millions of women – yes, and even men – gasped and recoiled. And we all saw ourselves as part of that club. Nasty Women. Nasty Women are strong, vocal, and will absolutely sting you (just a little bit). That was the inspiration for this cocktail. The edgy tartness of the Northeastern United States combined with the flair and sass of the Caribbean-influenced South Florida that I know so well.
A Nasty Woman Cocktail
(makes 3-4 servings)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Scorpion chili pepper, seeds removed
- 3 oz Jamaican Rum
- 1 Tbs. Wild Hibiscus Syrup -or- simple syrup (or more, to taste)
- 6 oz. Cranberry-Apple Juice
- Ice
- Sparkling water
- Garnish: Pink Crystal Sugar, Wild Hibiscus Flowers, and slices of Dragonfruit (a/k/a, Pithaya)
Preparation:
Pour some pink crystal sugar (the kind you use to decorate cakes and cookies) into a small dish. Moisten the rim of each glass with a piece of lime, or – if you’re feeling really daring – half of a Scorpion chile pepper, then dip the rim of each glass in the sugar, to coat.
Add the other half pepper, rum, syrup, and juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, cover tightly, then shake vigorously to combine.
Fill 3-4 rocks glasses with ice and divide the contents of the cocktail shaker between them (or fill the glasses about 1/3-1/2).
Top off with sparkling water.
Garnish with half of a Dragonfruit slice and a Wild Hibiscus flower.
Keep in mind that the Scorpion pepper is currently the second hottest chile pepper in the world. Be respectful of that fact and always wear gloves when handling these, or any other hot pepper!
If your cranberry-apple juice is sugar-free, you may want to add a little additional syrup.
Save this for your next party. Or Election Night viewing. Be sure to warn your guests, first, though. And keep the cheese and crackers nearby. 😉
