Who knows how it came about, but it happened. One day you were drinking a simple cocktail and the next day every cocktail in every hip bar was being enhanced with hot sauce. What is even more surprising is that it works. Yes, not all cocktails work with hot sauce, but so many do. The addition of it often gives a spicy punch or a much-needed tang from the vinegar. However, the reason it works is because so many cocktails use fruit juice and so many recipes use fruit to mute the heat of hot sauce and let the flavor shine. So, how can you add a punch to your next cocktail?

Sauce the Rim

Putting salt or sugar on the rim of the glass is a popular way to add a little complexity to a cocktail, but what if you added a little hot sauce into the mix of sugar or salt? It gives the cocktail a kick and a boost of color.

Add Some Fire to the Ice

If you are really serious about your cocktails, then why not make the ice just as exciting as the drink? Mix some hot sauce or even whole jalapenos into the ice before freezing and you will get a recipe for a drink that gets more exciting with each sip. This is an excellent way to elevate a good bloody mary to a great one.

Chuck it In

You don’t need to be fancy about it, why not just put a little hot sauce in the shaker before mixing up your cocktail? This leaves a lot of room for experimentation as well. Tomato, lime, and lemon-based drinks are classic options, but a little hot sauce with pineapple or mango drinks can be equally exciting. It is, however, important to remember that while fruit flavors mute the spice, alcohol does enhance it.