My Margarita vs. Your Margarita
If you take anything away from this blog, please make it this. Never, and I mean N.E.V.E.R, use store bought margarita mix. Nothing is more offensive than this high-fructose corn syrup-bar foam-preservative containing gunk.
I’m not one for ratios. I free pour until it tastes good. Now, a good margarita should not wreak of tequila, it should wreak of lime. For me, the addition of Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec are completely optional. I truly don’t think you need the thick, citrus taste of these liquors to counter-balance the lime. Your marg just doesn’t need it. I think the addition of these ingredients make your margarita less fresh tasting, and that is what this cocktail is all about- it ought to be refreshing, ice cold, and remind you of sunbathing in Mexico.
The original margarita did not contain any sweeteners. It was composed of citrus liquor, lime, and tequila. I think a light sweetener counter-balances the sour taste of the lime, and dulls the pungent bitterness of the tequila. Tequila is made from agave, and what better sweetener is their than agave? Make sure you use a light agave syrup, or your margs will take on a dirty-dishwater brown.
Rose’s lime juice has no place in a margarita. Use fresh squeezed lime juice. End of discussion.
Salt is optional. Salt was originally used to mask the taste of the poor quality of Mezcals used in the margarita (Mezcal is the tequila with the worm in it, which was used to absorb the microbial sediments that resulted from making tequila from dirty water). I prefer no salt, but it is up to you.
Here is my recipe, and every person I’ve served one of these to has thanked me profusely for making them such a yummy cocktail:
- Three count shot of silver tequila. My favorites are El Jimador, Don Julio, or Espolon.
- Four counts of fresh lime juice. Sometimes, if I have time, I add a small amount of lime peel shaved off with the a microplane.
- About a teaspoon of light agave nectar.
- Shake it hard with a shaker full of ice, and serve in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a big chunk of lime.
Enjoy!
