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Making the Most of the Margarita
Straight Up, On The Rocks and Frozen!
Q: How do I make Margaritas?
-- Wilbein,
Mesa, Arizona
A: When preparing a Margarita you only need to know three things: Salt/No Salt; what style and which ingredients.
The basic recipe includes: 1 1/2 oz tequila, 1 1/2 oz sweet & sour mix ( or 3/4 oz fresh lime juice mixed with 3/4 oz simple syrup) and 1/2 oz orange-flavored liqueur.
In The Original Guide To Margaritas and Tequila, author Robert Plotkin suggests two additions: a splash of orange juice and 1/2 oz Rose's sweetened lime juice. When mixing at home, orange juice is the perfect fix for a too-tart cocktail and the sweetened lime juice adds another dimension of citrus fruit flavor.
Tequila, a product made from Mexico's blue agave plant, is the centerpiece of this cocktail. For a list of some exceptional tequila, check out our Tequila Tasting results. The truest to the blue agave flavor is the silver, un-aged tequila which we recommend for all Margaritas.
The most commonly used orange-flavored liqueur is triple sec. Cointreau, Grand Marnier and Blue Curacao follow closely behind. Patron's Citronge is specifically designed for making Margaritas. There are also many nonalcoholic citrus flavored modifying mixes, such as Rose's Tiple Sec, which are perfectly acceptable to use.
Straight Up: Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake 20-30 times then strain into chilled martini or margarita glass. Garnish with lime wheel For Margarita
On The Rocks: Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker and strain into martini or margarita glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Frozen Combine ingredients in blender with 1 cup of ice. Pour into glass and serve with lime wedge.
Many people find that a salt rim enhances the flavor of the cocktail. To salt glasses, rub the rim of the glass with lime or lemon then gently dip into saucer laced with kosher salt. This must be performed to the glass before it is filled with ice or cocktail.
For variations on the Margarita, click on a recent article on A Change of Taste for Miss Cocktail.
Cheers!
Miss Cocktail
