Jamaica-chipotle Infused Tequila

Jamaica-chipotle Infused Tequila

2 liters blanco tequila
2 cups jamaica flowers
2 large dried chipotle peppers
Pour 1 liter tequila into a large jar wide-mouth jar. Add the jamaica flowers and steep 3 hours. Add the chipotle peppers, steep an additional hour, or to taste. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Add the second liter of tequila; bottle.

Notes: 

• This infusion doesn't taste good on its own--you need to make a drink with it.
• Chipotle pepper: our objective is to make an infusion that is flavorful, warm, but not spicy-hot. You might want something different. Make the effort to find dried chipotles, though you can experiment with whatever pepper you prefer. the modest heat, rich flavor and smokiness of the dried chipotle seemed perfect to us.
• Jamaica: freshness matters. Mostly we have used fresh, sticky jamaica from local Mexican markets. Once (only once), we bought jamaica from a trade supplier of herbs and spices. In addition to costing more than double what we pay at the local mercado, the flowers that arrived were dried out. I didn't think it would matter, but both the aroma and the color were significantly diminished, and the resultant infusion was inferior.