WINTER · FEBRUARY 19, 2026 · WEEK 7
Bright lime curd folded into a coconut-cream custard, with reposado tequila pulling everything toward a frozen margarita — beach cocktail in solid form.
This tequila lime coconut ice cream turns a frozen margarita into a custard, with full-fat canned coconut milk replacing part of the heavy cream, fresh lime juice added off the heat to prevent curdling, and reposado tequila for barrel character. Tequila at 40% ABV is poured small — 30g is the upper limit before the base softens past scoopable. Coconut milk adds tropical flavor that dairy alone can’t carry, and contributes less water than heavy cream, so the freeze stays firm. Lime zest goes in just before churning to preserve the citrus oils. Three machine methods, gram-precise, built for people who take their beach drinks seriously.
For the science behind how tequila interacts with a frozen custard base, see our complete guide to alcohol in ice cream. For tequila freezing points, see the alcohol freezing point chart.
Why Tequila Works in Ice Cream
Tequila Reposado at 40% ABV runs hot — keep the pour small (30g max). Coconut milk replaces a portion of the heavy cream, adding a distinct flavor and a lower water content than heavy cream (full-fat canned coconut milk is ~22% fat, just under cream’s 36%, but the fat type carries a flavor that dairy alone can’t). Lime juice goes in off the heat to prevent curdling. Lime zest carries the citrus oils. The coconut-tequila-lime triangle is structurally similar to a margarita; the ice cream just freezes it.
What You’ll Taste
Lime hits first — bright, zesty, almost sorbet-adjacent. Coconut rounds it: full, tropical, slightly sweet without being candy. Tequila Reposado arrives in the finish — woody, smoky, with the barrel character the spirit gets from oak aging. Long finish, more savory than sweet. Reads like a margarita that learned restraint.
