How to Use Ancho Reyes in Cocktails

Few products have garnered such rapid success as Ancho Reyes, the ancho chile–flavored liqueur that launched in 2013 and quickly became a bartender favorite for its adaptability in both classic and modern cocktails. Based on a 1927 recipe from Puebla, Mexico, the liqueur is produced by macerating ancho chiles in a sugarcane distillate, yielding a more subdued heat in cocktails compared with fresh hot peppers like jalapeño, for instance, a commonly called-upon ingredient. “If you’re using jalapeño, up front, you get that immediate spiciness,” explains New York bartender Simone Goldberg. By contrast, Ancho Reyes “is more of a subtle finish to a drink.” 

The liqueur offers an easy way to kick up tequila-based cocktails like the Margarita and the Paloma, but it performs equally well in cocktails of all kinds. To get started with the spirit, here are some of our favorite ways to use it.