Spring Cocktail Recipe: The Perfect Orange-y Margarita

This week’s 10-Minute Happy Hour is inspired purely by the long overdue dose of gorgeous weather here in the Northeast. My hubby had been outside shoveling mulch into our much-neglected gardens for about 5 hours now, so off I went in search of finding him the perfect cold drink to toast his hard day’s work. A bright orange box that shouted Perfect Margarita was just too hard to pass up.

With all this sunshine there was no way we could hold out until Cinco de Mayo for margaritas. The bright orange box I was now unwrapping wasn’t some powdered mix or gimmicky gross sugar-laden margarita syrup. Inside lay a sharp-looking bottle of Patron tequila and an accompanying bottle of Citronge, a orange liqueur by the same makers.

But how could it be perfect? Isn’t the margarita itself nearly perfect? A balanced, sweet, salty and citrusy drink perfect on any hot day — or even on warm and occasionally cold days in my house. (You know, just to remind us summer does exist!)

I followed their instructions for the Patron Perfect Margarita and even enjoyed it as suggested cosmo style, served up in a martini glass.

The Citronge orange liqueur was equally as delicious as Cointreau in this cocktail. I know certain imbibing parties who drink in defense of all orange liqueurs being equal and just as many who only drink the French stuff (Cointreau), and others who only use their homemade. What’s your preferred orange liqueur?

This was a promising way to end our day and an equally promising way to end yours!

Related: Spicy Blood Orange Jalapeno Margarita

Maureen C. Petrosky writes what she knows, food, booze and parties. Author of The Wine Club, she appears regularly on The TODAY show to share her vices (and advice) with the world. For more info check out www.maureenpetrosky.com or follow her on Twitter @maureenpetrosky

(Images: Maureen Petrosky)