Red Chili Flakes
Dried, crushed chili pepper, used to add heat to spicy cocktails.
Origin
The Americas originally (as dried, crushed chili peppers), a kitchen staple worldwide since chilies spread globally after European contact in the 16th century.
History
Dried, crushed chili flakes follow the same broad history as chili peppers generally: domesticated in the Americas, spread rapidly worldwide after Columbus's voyages, and adopted into countless global cuisines as a simple, shelf-stable way to add heat to food. Their cocktail use is a modern development, part of the broader spicy-cocktail and savory-drink trend, typically used as a rim coating or infused into syrup rather than dropped directly into a drink.
Flavor profile
Sharp, dry heat with a mild smoky, slightly bitter undertone from the dried, toasted peppers.
Tasting notes
A dry, building heat without fresh chili's vegetal juiciness, most often used to rim a glass or infuse into a syrup rather than muddled directly, since whole flakes don't dissolve or distribute evenly on their own.
Substitutes
- Cayenne pepper, for a similar dry heat in powdered form.
- Fresh chili pepper, for a juicier, more vegetal heat instead.
- Hot sauce, for a liquid form of similar heat that mixes in more evenly.
Common cocktails