Name: Ancho Problem
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 30 ml Blanco tequila; 30 ml Chilli liqueur; 15 ml Lime juice; 10 ml Brown sugar syrup

Ancho Problem
Jump to

Keep screen awake

Glass:

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
1 fl oz	Patrón Silver blanco tequila
1 fl oz	Chilli liqueur
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₃ fl oz	Demerara/Muscovado/brown sugar syrup (2 sugar to 1 water)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lime slice wheel (dehydrated).

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

Garnish with lime slice on rim or float dehydrated wheel.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

No problem! Unless that is you're out of chili liqueur, as that's the backbone to this spicy, low citrus Margarita.

View readers' comments

History:

Adapted from a recipe created by Boston bartender Ezra Star.

More cocktails by Ezra Star

Nutrition:

One serving of Ancho Problem contains 191 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
20.76% alc./vol. (41.52° proof)
18.9 grams of pure alcohol

More Aperitivo/aperitif cocktails
More Spicy (e.g. Spicy Fifty) cocktails

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Join the discussion

Showing 7 comments for Ancho Problem.
See discussion in the Forum

Please log in to make a comment

Chris Dimal

24th May at 09:43

Used Ancho Reyes and Siete Leguas Blanco. Delightful and delicious. The chili is not so overpowering or spicy, yet it complements the brown sugar so well that they coalesce in the best way possible.

Simon Sedgley

3rd June 2025 at 13:10

The recipe doesn't specify a brand of chilli liqueur so, using Ancho Reyes (original), we were a bit wary of the 30ml...but we needn't have fretted, it is luscious as prescribed.

Simon Sedgley

11th June 2025 at 13:46

We decided to let this one fully off its leash by using an Anejo Tequila and Agave syrup...and upping the lime juice by 5ml.

Cole Hladun

14th February 2025 at 03:57

Upped the lime a bit and went with Tapatio 110. Good drink but for my taste could double the lime.

Morten Carlsbaek

21st August 2024 at 18:06

Love this ever so slightly sour, more like fresh sweetish margarita way of using the chili liqueur. Somehow, it reminds me of some daiquiries, thus I served it in a nick and nora glass.

Frederic D.

19th July 2024 at 22:45

I went a bit off script here, by replacing the Ancho Reyes with Belle Isle Honey Habanero, and the sugar with 3:1 honey syrup. Unfortunately, this did not result in a better drink. The honey was overwhelming the finish of the drink, while the habanero was barely felt. No score from me this time, until I make the basic version.

Anthony Lynch

16th July 2024 at 19:55

With only 10ml of blanco tequila left in the bottom a bottle at the back of the bar cart, I topped things up with 20ml of mezcal (adding a touch more lime juice to compensate). None of this was regrettable I am happy to report!

Paul Holdsworth

7th October 2023 at 17:40

Of all the Ancho Reyes cocktails in the guide, this is the most 'assertive'. And it's my favourite so far. If I'm not sure I like a cocktail component, I've found that, perversely, trying cocktails that major on that ingredient can sway me. This works in that fashion, and I found that Parma Violet Spritz did the same for Creme de Violette. Completely counter-intuitive, but it works (for me, at least).