Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner. Why not get things started a little early this weekend with a Margarita?
A cool, thirst-quenching combination of tart and sweet, accented by the warmth of tequila and the savory piquancy of salt, the Margarita is the perfect drink for a warm evening. But which recipe to choose?
I’m going to tell you my absolute favorite way to mix one, but then I want to hear yours….
THE STORY
There are many competing stories about how the Margarita came to be. It might have been created in Mexico…or Texas…or California…and have been named after the Hollywood starlet Marjorie “Margarita” King…or a bar manager’s salt-loving girlfriend…or the flamboyant inventor herself….
In any case, the Margarita is a relative latecomer to the cocktail pantheon. It seems to have got its start sometime in the 1930s or 1940s, but didn’t really hit its stride until the 1970s, when it began to enjoy all the popularity it has today.
STYLES
Classic
Like other drinks in the sours family (such as the Classic Daiquiri and Sidecar), the Classic Margarita is a mixture of alcohol (tequila), fresh citrus juice (lime), and a sweetener (in this case, the orange-flavored liqueur, triple sec). Margaritas are usually prepared in a cocktail shaker and served straight up in a cocktail glass, although they're also frequently served on the rocks, as pictured above.
Frozen
The slushy, blender-drink version made with pureed ice.
Flavored Margaritas
In addition to the tequila, lime, and triple sec, a fourth ingredient such as a fruit juice (pomegranate, strawberry, etc) or other seasoning (such as tamarind, as in the pic above) is added to the mix.
Pitcher
The Margarita can be “batched” or made as a pitcher drink to serve a crowd. We’ve covered this here at The Kitchn before with Sara Kate’s recipe.
RATIOS
Recipe proportions vary widely. I took a quick survey of Classic Margarita recipes from some of the cocktail books I have at home, each written by a well-known mixologist, and found quite a range in the ratios:
Dale Degroff: 6:4:3 (1 1/2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce triple sec, 3/4 ounce lime juice)
Gary Regan: 3:2:1 (1 1/2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce triple sec, 1/2 lime juice)
David Wondrich: 2:1:1 (2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce triple sec, 1 ounce lime juice)
Salvatore Calabrese: 3:2:3 (1 ounce tequila, 2/3 ounce triple sec, 1 ounce lime juice)
Tarter? Sweeter? Boozier? Take your pick.
AND FINALLY, MY FAVORITE
Among all these many possible styles, my personal favorite is the Classic, prepared individually in a cocktail shaker with a quality silver tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and Cointreau (this combo is sometimes known as the “Silver Coin,” standing for silver tequila and Cointreau), served in a salt-rimmed glass. As far as ratios go, I like to make mine on the tarter side, and not too boozy - so I can have another. Nothing like it on a hot night.
Classic Margarita (adapted from Salvatore Calabrese’s Classic Cocktails)
makes one drink
1 ounce good quality silver tequila (I like Patron Silver)
2/3 ounce triple sec (I recommend Cointreau)
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Kosher salt for rimming the glass (optional)
Salt the rim of a cocktail glass. Combine the tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into the cocktail glass.
Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite take on the Margarita?
Related: How to Rim a Cocktail Glass for Margaritas - And More
(Images: Nora Maynard)
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2 oz. tequila, 1/2 oz. triple sec, 1 oz. lime, shaken over ice, strained, straight up. Used to do 1.5 oz. of tequila, but I always end up wanting more. Of course, you have to tweak the ratios a bit depending on the quality of your ingredients. Ah, I love margarita season.
I've been making margaritas with tequila, fresh lime juice, fresh sour orange juice and lime soda. No triple sec, on the rocks, salted rim. They are also good minus the lime soda and topped off with champagne.
Nail. On. Head. great topic for a friday afternoon...
Cointreau is absolutely the way to get the best possible margarita. (though, patron makes an orange liquer that is much better than well triple sec, and more affordable than cointreau). Good silver tequila, though i also like reposado, is a must for straight up margs., though i can handle less expensive stuff for a less-strong on-the-rocks version.
i also like using a splash of OJ, and limeaid makes for a good mixer if need be. otherwise, squeezed limes, ice, and booze is all that's needed for a straight-up margarita. my tequila-triple sec ratio is more like 2:1 (or higher, especially if i use a little OJ) as i like them strong...
sounds like a great idea for this evening...
I'm a 2:1:1 guy myself. I like to use Grand Marnier. Salt on only half or a quarter of the rim. On the rocks.
According to Wondrich the margarita would be a Daisy style drink due to the orange liqueur. Daisy in Spanish would be "margarita" so that makes a lot of sense to me.
I like mine strong -- my favorite recipe (if I'm not doing a classic silver coin)
1 1/2 - 2 oz patron silver
2/3 ounce Cointreau
Juice of one lime (3/4 -1 oz)
Juice of 1/4 a blood orange (1/2 - 3/4 oz)
On the rocks, no salt.
Mmmmmmm.
mine goes like this...
in a martini shaker full of ice, pour:
2 oz simple syrup
2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 oz tequila
splash of orange juice to taste (I used about 1 oz)
here's the story: http://sustainablediet.blogspot.com/2009/02/no-really-its-perfect-margarita.html
I go with the 2 parts Silver tequila, 1 part cointreau (not triple sec), 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice (no bottles has to be fresh) as well as a touch of aqave syrup. The amount of agave depends on how tart the limes are.
If confronted with a sour mix or bottled margarita concoction I opt for a Tequila and Tonic with a Lime wedge. Those that are foolish enough to use sour mix usually need to be told to make a gin and tonic but replace the gin with tequila - Silver, Repesado or Anejo.
I'm a 1:1:1 person with fresh squeezed lime, contreau (or triple sec) and a decent tequila. On the rocks. With salt.
I love the Cook's Illustrated version, though it takes some thinking ahead. Don't have the recipe handy, but it involves zesting limes and lemons and letting the zest marinate in the juice/tequila/triple sec overnight. Oh, and a touch of sugar. Then you strain it and serve over ice. Sooooo smooth, but dangerously strong.
Oh, you can also do it the way my favorite dive bar does: a lot of tequila, lemon-lime Gatorade, ice cubes, pint glass. Less sophisticated (and, you know, good), but much more hydrating. Sort of.
I love Margaritas, but I reeeally love Mexican Martinis. They're super popular in Austin, but I haven't come across them anywhere else. To make one, just add a splash of olive brine to your favorite margarita recipe, shake, strain in a martini glass & garnish with olives.
Check out my full recipe here: http://www.clovesandcream.com/2009/01/s-unday-evenings-are-usually-set-aside.html
1 can frozen limeade, use the can to measure 2 cans of tequila, and 1 can of triple sec. Fill blender with ice, then pour in mix around the ice about 2/3 of the way full, blend until creamy, and repeat. No salt! Squeeze a fresh lime wedge on top.
Of course, freshly squeezed key limes, simple syrup, and a quality tequila make for a more lovely beverage, but it's much too much trouble to make in the multi-pitcher quantities that are so often required...
I bartend at a tequila bar. Do not use triple sec. The orange flavor is only there to mask the flavor of BAD tequila. What you want is to enhance the flavor of the agave plant that the tequila is made from by using the nectar from the same plant: Agave nectar. Available nationwide in most grocery stores next to honey.
The best recipe is 2oz Silver tequila (something better than Patron please: Corazon, Partida, Tequila Ocho, Fortaleza, et al) 1oz fresh squeezed lime juice and 1 oz AGAVE nectar.
If you want to float some Grand Marnier and make it a cadillac, fine, but please god, no triple sec
I like using a blend of fresh lemon and lime juice, very tasty!