This drink was part of the cookout I had done for ElsaTable in Mar 2021. It was concocted by my daughter Kavya who was my sous chef for the day. This was an experiment that guests enjoyed thoroughly and made the recipe a success.
Put the mint leaves in a flat-bottomed glass (for easy muddling). Squeeze half a lemon in this. Add the Tabasco. Use a muddler or back of a rolling pin to press the three ingredients in order to release their juice. You should start getting a spicy mint-like aroma.
Add in the crushed ice cubes (use according to preference; I used 6-7 cubes for a glass). Stir the ingredients well and keep the glass aside.
Take a flat plate and sprinkle salt in it. There should be enough salt to rim a serving glass. (This is a new glass, not the one used for muddling the ingredients).
Rub the rim of the chosen serving glass with a quarter of a lemon. Press the rim in the salt on the plate and coat it evenly. Pour the mint, lemon, Tabasco, and ice mix into this glass. Take care not to touch the salted rim.
Pour the cranberry juice in this serving glass and stir it carefully with a stirrer. Your margarita is ready!
Refrigerate