Mixing with Ava Matthews: Chilli Coconut Margarita

“Cocktails make the best desserts,” says Ava Chandler-Matthews, cocktail enthusiast and founder of SPF disruptor Ultra Violette. Particularly in summer, a dinner party can’t end in a heavy or rich cake or custard. It’s just not the weather for it. Ava knows that you have more success with a low-effort cheese board, mini ice creams, or better yet, a cocktail from the sweeter side. 

This chilli coconut margarita is an ideal summer dessert. Cold, creamy, bright, breezy and with just the right hit of spice, it’s an ideal dessert. Plus, as Ava says, “it tastes like a melted Weiss bar.”

This recipe is extra party-appropriate because Margaritas are such a party drink, and when you’re entertaining a crowd, it’s good to have something that echoes the mood. Ava, who often caters for friends with dietary requirements, gives this recipe an extra tick because it’s dairy-free and vegan-friendly.

The tequila-based Margarita has been synonymous with a good time since it was invented in Tijuana in the late 1940s – at least that’s the most accepted creation story. 

Over the decades it’s come back in vogue in many forms: frozen Margs were hot in the late ‘90s, and most recently chilli-flake-laden spicy versions have been a trendy order. But with its balanced flavours and lick of spice tempered by that coconut cream, we think the Chilli Coconut Margarita is the next big thing.