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I want to prepare a drink that is hot (spicy) but I don't want to use regular hot sauce because it will affect the color. Is there anything like "clear" hot sauce?

Sly
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7 Answers7

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Let a hot pepper (jalapeño or habañero, perhaps) soak in your liquid for however long it takes to achieve the desired hotness.

raven
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    It worked very well. All I had was a long green pepper (not very hot). I perforated it and soaked it in vodka for 6 hours. The vodka got quite hot. There is a noticeable smell and taste of green pepper though. – Sly Mar 12 '11 at 18:55
  • Most of the capsaicin is in the seeds and pith (white stuff inside the pepper). You could try just soaking those parts. They might not have as much pepper flavor. – Kenster May 15 '14 at 16:24
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Hmm, I'd look for pure Capsaicin if all you want is the heat. It's colorless/odorless so could work, but I'm not sure where you can find it.

I've heard of white, hot sauces which may work for you, here is an example

Mike
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  • The vinegar (and possibly the salt) in the sauce you linked to might make it a bad call for drinks, but good thought! – Cascabel Feb 17 '11 at 01:08
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    @Jefromi: Depends on the drink. Tobasco is regularly used in drinks and that has a substantial amount of vinegar and some salt. – Orbling Feb 17 '11 at 01:12
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    A note regarding capsaicin: pure crystalized capsaicin is _ridiculously_ hot. I can't stress enough how intolerably mind blowing it is. A spec the size of one of the commas in your answer in a can of tomato soup renders it inedible. I have a very high tolerance for capsaicin too. – hobodave Feb 17 '11 at 01:32
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    As @hobodave hints at, pure capsaicin is 15-16 *million* on the [Scoville Scale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale), which is over 10 times hotter than the infamous "ghost chili". If you actually manage to get hold of it, don't even try to measure it out directly; you need to dilute it first. – Aaronut Feb 17 '11 at 01:53
  • The brand 'Pure Cap' comes in a dropped bottle inside a child-proof container. I've seen people dip a tooth pick into a drop of it, then touch it to their tounge and decide it was too much. – Joe Feb 17 '11 at 02:08
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Szechuan (Sichuan) pepper husks can be brewed/simmered in hot water and results in a relatively clear broth that can be very "hot" and a much more interesting taste than refined or artificial capsaicin

It also has that numbing effect that most people find rather interesting

TFD
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Cajohn's Frostbite it is a clear hot sauce and pretty good for making mixed drinks

Jolenealaska
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seth
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  • I took the liberty of adding a link. It looks interesting! The reviews on the page suggest that it's a pretty good product and might be ideal for the OP's purpose so I upvoted too. Welcome to Seasoned Advice! – Jolenealaska May 13 '14 at 04:25
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I have some habanero powder that has a beige color. I would imagine that wouldn't discolor a clear liquid too much. And believe me, a little bit goes a long way.

Sean Hart
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Fresh uncooked Ginger paste has quite a kick to it, as does fresh ground Horseradish. The tastes are not much like capsicum, but can be eye-wateringly potent.

Wayfaring Stranger
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There's a style of hot sauce that is basically whole peppers soaking in a vinegar solution; it's probably work, but it'd give a sour note from the vinegar.

You could always make your own ... it tends to be made with green peppers; I'm guessing green or yellow would impart less color.

Also, a quick search suggests that there's at least two brands of 'clear hotsauce' out there -- Panola and Frostbite.

Joe
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