Margarita

Ingredients

Drink

• 50 mlblanco tequila, 100 per cent agave
• 25 mlfresh lime juice
• 20 mlCointreau or triple sec
• 5 mlagave syrup, optional

Rim

• coarse salt
• a lime wedge

Also

• plenty of ice

Directions

1. Use tequila labelled 100 per cent agave. Mixto tequila is cut with other sugars and it is the reason cheap margaritas taste harsh and give headaches.
2. Squeeze the limes within the hour. Bottled lime juice is flat and slightly bitter, and in a three-ingredient drink there is nowhere for it to hide.
3. Salt only half the rim, and do it properly: run a lime wedge round the outside edge of the glass, then roll that outside edge in salt on a plate.
4. Salt the outside only. Dipping the glass mouth-down into salt drops it into the drink, where it dissolves and throws the whole balance off.
5. Leaving half the rim bare lets whoever is drinking it choose, which is what good bars do.
6. Chill the glass in the freezer while you mix.
7. Fill a shaker with ice and add the tequila, lime juice and Cointreau.
8. The 2:1:1 ratio is the classic starting point; add a little agave syrup if your limes are sharp or the tequila is dry.
9. Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds, until the outside of the tin frosts.
10. Shake it properly. This drink needs both the chill and the small amount of water that shaking adds, and an under-shaken margarita tastes raw and hot.
11. Strain into the salted glass, over fresh ice or straight up.
12. Strain it off the shaking ice rather than pouring it in. That ice is already broken and watery and will keep diluting the drink in the glass.
13. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.
14. The origins are genuinely disputed and no single claim is settled. Bartenders in Tijuana and Ensenada are credited, as is a 1948 Acapulco hostess named Margarita Sames, and printed recipes appear from the 1950s.
15. The most likely account is that it evolved from the Daisy, a family of spirit, citrus and liqueur drinks, and margarita is Spanish for daisy.
16. None of these claims can be confirmed, and anyone stating one as settled fact is guessing.

Technique

• A Tommy’s Margarita replaces the orange liqueur with agave syrup and is worth knowing.
• Reposado tequila makes a rounder, oakier drink than blanco.
• The frozen blended version is a different drink and needs more sweetener to survive the dilution.

Substitutions

• Any decent orange liqueur: Cointreau, triple sec or Grand Marnier.
• Mezcal in place of tequila, which gives a smoky version.

Variations

• Tommy’s Margarita, with agave syrup and no liqueur.
• Frozen, blended with crushed ice.
• With tamarind, hibiscus or grapefruit.

History

Origins are disputed; Tijuana and Ensenada bartenders and a 1948 Acapulco hostess all claim it, and printed recipes appear from the 1950s.

Frequently asked questions

What is Margarita?

Margarita is a cocktail from Mexico: tequila, lime, and orange liqueur with salted rim. Origins are disputed; Tijuana and Ensenada bartenders and a 1948 Acapulco hostess all claim it, and printed recipes appear from the 1950s.

How long does Margarita take to make?

Margarita takes 5 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Margarita?

Yes, within limits. Any decent orange liqueur: Cointreau, triple sec or Grand Marnier. Mezcal in place of tequila, which gives a smoky version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Margarita?

Salt the outside only. Dipping the glass mouth-down into salt drops it into the drink, where it dissolves and throws the whole balance off.