Episode 105

Featured Cocktail: The Margarita

This episode’s featured cocktail is the all-powerful Margarita. Undoubtedly the queen of the tequila cocktail landscape, this tart, refreshing mixed drink has a reputation for being many things. You can find it on almost every chain restaurant or hotel bar menu. You can order a pitcher full of it at most Mexican restaurants. But the question remains: what separates a good margarita from a disappointing one.

To answer that question, let’s look at the ingredients. If you’d like to make yourself a really nice Margarita, you’ll need:

• 2 oz of Tequila

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• ¾ oz orange liqueur

  Combine these ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously until it’s cold as heck, and then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass or a rocks glass. The traditional garnish for a Margarita is a lime wheel and a salt rim, so if you think your Margarita could benefit from a little salinity, definitely go for it.

  Combine these ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously until it’s cold as heck, and then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass or a rocks glass. The traditional garnish for a Margarita is a lime wheel and a salt rim, so if you think your Margarita could benefit from a little salinity, definitely go for it.

  Combine these ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously until it’s cold as heck, and then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass or a rocks glass. The traditional garnish for a Margarita is a lime wheel and a salt rim, so if you think your Margarita could benefit from a little salinity, definitely go for it.

  We like the Margarita for the same reason we like a classic daiquiri: these simple, refreshing drinks really let the spirit shine through. In the Margarita’s case, this means you can have a lot of fun using different types of tequila, like a silver vs. a reposado or anejo. Also, there’s a lot of variation between different orange liqueurs, whether you’re talking about triple sec, cointreau, or Grand Marnier.

So here’s our challenge to you: next time you go out for Margarita supplies, really think about what you like about this drink. Think about what types of flavors you’d like to shine through, and then pick up the specific products that you can use to make your “house margarita.” With a little practice, you’ll have something your friends and family will request again and again – and the fun part is that you’ve put your own fingerprint on one of the worlds most important cocktails.