Lychee Cocktail

Lychees have to be one of my favorite flavors, fresh or tinned I cannot get enough of them! If you also happen to be a fan of this fruit then you just have to try this Lychee Cocktail. 

This delicious cocktail is made from tinned lychees, the fruit is blended and strained while the syrup is boiled and infused with jalapenos. Shaken with lemon juice, tequila, and ice before being poured into a cocktail glass rimmed with salt and smoked paprika. This cocktail really hits all the flavor notes- sweet, sour, spicy, and salty while still highlighting the flavor of lychee!

If you are a fan of using fruits in the kitchen then you have to try this recipe for an Apple Tea Cake or this recipe for a Mixed Berry Cake. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tips
• FAQ
• Related
• Pairing
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

To make this lychee cocktail you will need the simple ingredients listed below.

• Canned lychees 
• Jalapenos 
• Tequila 
• Lemon juice 
• Salt 
• Smoked paprika 
• Ice cubes 

Tinned lychees - this recipe uses the fruit as well as the syrup to make this cocktail, you can make this recipe using fresh lychees to make the juice and then make your own simple syrup. 

Jalapenos - these are sliced and added to the lychee syrup, they add a kick to the syrup which offsets the sweetness of the fruit. 

Tequila - choose a good quality tequila that you actually enjoy drinking for the best results! I love using Avion Reposado when making cocktails. 

Lemon juice - choose freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled lemon juice for the best flavor. You can also use fresh lime juice. 

Smoked paprika - this is combined with salt to make a salty spicy rim to edge the glasses, it is difficult to find tajin spice here but you could use this instead.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Follow the simple steps below to make this delicious fruity cocktail. 

STEP 1: Make salt and paprika mixture. Combine the salt and smoked paprika in a small bowl, then pour it onto a flat plate. 

STEP 2: Prepare glasses. Cut a lemon and use the cut side to rub it against the side of the glass, a quarter of the glass is enough. Rub the wet rim into the salt mixture so that the mixture sticks to the side of the glass. Repeat with the second glass. 

STEP 3: Strain the lychees. Open the tinned lychees and separate the fruit for the syrup. 

STEP 4: Make jalapeno syrup. Add the lychee syrup and the sliced jalapenos to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Allow the syrup to thicken slightly and for the flavor of the jalapenos to infuse into the syrup. Strain and set aside to cool completely. 

STEP 5: Make lychee juice. Add the tinned lychee flesh to a food processor and blend, pass the purred lychees through a sieve and into a jug. 

STEP 6: Shake. To a cocktail shaker, add the cooled lychee syrup, lychee juice, lemon juice, tequila, and ice. Shake the cocktail for about 15-20 seconds then pour it into your prepared cocktail glasses, serve, and enjoy!

Hint: don't let the syrup thicken too much on to stovetop, otherwise it won't blend well when the cocktail is shaken.

Variations

You can make this cocktail using fresh lychees, you will just need to make your own simple syrup as well. Do this by adding equal parts of water and sugar to a saucepan, with the sliced jalapenos, and allow the sugar to dissolve and the syrup to thicken. 

Equipment

You will need a blender to puree the lychees, and you will also need a cocktail shaker and sieve. If you don't have a cocktail shaker you can use two glasses of different sizes that fit into one another. 

I used cut glass tumblers to serve this tropical fruit cocktail, but you can use martini glasses or any other cocktail glasses you may have. 

Storage

The syrup can be made ahead of time if needed, but I recommend assembling this cocktail just before serving. 

I don't recommend freezing this recipe. 

FAQ

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

Whether you can litchis (like we do here in South Africa) or lychees, this is the perfect cocktail to serve on a hot summer day when you're looking to make something a little special. Serve this with cheese and crackers and you'll have yourself a winning start (or end) to any meal. 

If you give this recipe a try and love it, please leave a comment and star review below - I love hearing from all of you! If you'd like to see more cocktail recipes, then post your requests in the comments below. 

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Happy Baking 

With Love, 

Kitty 

📖 Recipe