By Last week of August. The team's season opener is Friday. We have spent the past two weeks fine-tuning. The offense has installed everything we are going to run for week one. The defense has installed everything they are going to run. The depth chart is set. The starters are locked in. The seniors are leading. The freshmen are wide-eyed but absorbing. The team is ready.
Marcus has had the best camp of his career. He is throwing with confidence and accuracy. The new receivers — Tyrese is going to be the WR1, Carlos Mendez is the slot, Drew is the deep threat — are not Diego, but they are good in their own ways, and the offense is built around their strengths rather than around the previous year's. Calvin at nose tackle is going to be an all-conference player by November. Keenan at linebacker is the heart of the defense. Anthony is back at safety for his senior year and is going to be a captain.
Diego called Monday night. He had survived his first week of college classes and his first week of football lift. He was in the field at six in the morning every day. The veterans had been running the freshmen ragged. He was tired. He was happy. He had made friends. He was eating dining-hall food, which he described as "fine, not Carlos." I laughed. He said he had bought a small toaster and was making himself a quesadilla every morning at six before practice. He had bought a bag of frozen Hatch green chile from the grocery store in Fort Collins. He was incorporating it into the quesadilla. I told him I was proud. He said, "Dad. I told you I would learn." I said, "Mijo. The quesadilla is a starter recipe. The full curriculum is going to take you four years." He said, "I will work my way through it."
I prepped for the tailgate Friday. Brisket since two a.m. Pulled pork. Green chile mac. Posole. The boosters brought everything else. The tailgate was big — the championship had brought in new fans, and the season opener had a celebratory feeling that we have not had at this program before. The team ran the championship banner around the field before the game. The crowd cheered. We won the game thirty-five to ten. Marcus had three TDs. Tyrese had two catches and a TD. Calvin had a sack and a fumble recovery. The new team has shown up. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.
After a 2 a.m. brisket start, a full posole pot, and a crowd that finally felt like a championship crowd, I needed something to raise with the boosters when Marcus hit that third touchdown — something with heat, something with bite, something that matched the energy of this team showing up the way they showed up. The Spicy Margarita was exactly that. It’s not a subtle drink, and this was not a subtle day.
Spicy Margarita
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 10 min | Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 1 oz fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
- 3/4 oz triple sec or Cointreau
- 1/2 oz agave nectar
- 2–4 slices fresh jalapeño (seeds in for more heat, seeds out for less)
- Kosher salt or chili-lime salt, for rimming
- Ice
- Lime wheel and jalapeño slice, for garnish
Instructions
- Rim the glass. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass, then press the rim into a shallow plate of kosher salt or chili-lime salt. Set aside.
- Muddle the jalapeño. Place jalapeño slices in a cocktail shaker and muddle firmly for about 20 seconds to release the heat and oils.
- Add the liquids. Pour in the tequila, fresh lime juice, triple sec, and agave nectar.
- Shake. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain and serve. Double-strain through a fine mesh strainer over fresh ice in the prepared rocks glass to remove jalapeño seeds and pulp.
- Garnish. Add a lime wheel and a fresh jalapeño slice on the rim. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg