I tried 74 different Margarita recipes, and most of them were overwhelmed with the combined harshness of lime juice and tequila, or the sickly sweetness of triple sec. The secret I discovered was that a mere teaspoon of lemon juice brightens up the tequila and lime, and balances the sweetness of the orange liqueur.
- 1½ ounces of 100% blue agave silver or blanco tequila
- ¼ ounce Cointreau or other triple sec
- ½ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 1 measuring teaspoon or barspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ ounce agave nectar (undiluted)
— Hold a tumbler glass upside down, and rub a cut lime on one half of the rim. Dip, but don’t twist, the outside of the wet rim into a dish of Morton Sea Salt (the kind without iodine). Pour tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice into a mixing glass with ice. Shake 36 times and strain onto ice cubes in the salted glass.
Lunazul Blanco Tequila is an inexpensive tequila that is excellent for Margaritas.
Recommended tequilas are Milagro, Herradura, Avion, Siembra Azul, Dos Lunas, Tapatio, Patron, and Corazon. A few reposado (gold) tequilas mix well in margaritas, such as Dos Lunas and Izkali. Expensive tequilas like El Tesoro or Pura Vida are better left for sipping.
The Cointreau can be replaced with DeKuyper O3 Premium Orange Liqueur, Marie Brizard Triple Sec, or Combier, but they’re harder to find. Grand Marnier is made with cognac, so it adds that taste, as does Ferrand Dry Curacao.
Frozen Margaritas
Premium shaken margaritas are great for tiny gatherings, but if you have lots of people, they take too much time to prepare. Replace them with these tasty Cheap Margaritas. Guests will be pleased, and so will you. If you want strawberry frozen margaritas, just add two fresh or frozen strawberries per drink before blending it.
