Margarita-ing

[ratcheer]

I'm not much into margaritas myself, but as a longtime tequila drinker I'm passing along a tip I picked up in the tequila forums.

Tequila forums? !!! What will they think of, next?

Tim

[Phischy]

I don't use top shelf tequila in making a 'rita. Doesn't make sense, you wouldn't serve RVW 20yr cut with coke. A good mid-grade, Sauza hornito's or something of that grade is perfectly fine.

Mine:

2 shots Hornitos

1 shot cointreau

juice of 1 lime

table spoon of corase raw cane sugar (I don't want it all to dissolve)

Fill shaker w/ ice, add booze, shakeshakeshake, pour. I also lime the rim of the glass and rarely use salt.

[ratcheer]

My wife likes frozen margaritas and her recipe is very simple. One can of frozen limeade concentrate, one can of tequila, and lots of ice in the blender. The idea is abhorrent, but the drinks are actually pretty good.

Tim

Oops. I forgot another ingredient. 1/2 can of triple sec.

Tim

[cowdery]

Ahhh, canned triple sec.

[jburlowski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratcheer

My wife likes frozen margaritas and her recipe is very simple. One can of frozen limeade concentrate, one can of tequila, and lots of ice in the blender. The idea is abhorrent, but the drinks are actually pretty good.

Tim

Oops. I forgot another ingredient. 1/2 can of triple sec.

Let's see...

leave out the limeade, and the triple sec, and double the teaquila.... now that's a good cocktail!

[bigtoys]

If you make the simple syrup (really easy) and put it in the fridge, it keeps a long time--like a year. I did have one batch go bad (turned black and moldy). Don't add the lime until you're ready to make the marg or maybe the day before.

I use Don Julio, Patron, Herradura, Tezon reposado or even anejo. Another favorite is 1921 (pic below), but it's hard to get. For the orange liqueur, Cointreau, Gran Torres, Gran Gala.

Here's my proportions--I play around with the proportions:

2-3 oz Tequila

.75-1 oz Orange Liqueuer

3-4 oz 3:1 Fresh squeezed lime juice: simple syrup

BTW, don't even try lime juice from a bottle--ya gotta use fresh. I like the Costco idea. I have a green lime squeezer that is really efficient at squeezing the lime, one half at a time. Here's a pic; it comes in 3 sizes for limes,lemons, oranges.

[TBoner]

Agreed on using fresh-squeezed lime juice. Chuck nailed it by pointing out that the mixes, and many restaurant margaritas, use sugar to stretch the drink and provide mouthfeel, and that many customers have fallen in love with the ultra-sweet flavor. Here in TX, I've been used to drinking a lot of very sweet frozen margaritas. About a year ago, though, I tried one using a more-or-less classic 3:2:1 formual of tequila:triple sec:lime juice, shaken with ice and strained into a cocktail glass. It blew me away. There's more than enough sweetness, a nice tart balance, and true agave tequila flavor

A lousy tequila is not so great in this drink, but anything 100% agave is fine. I don't go too high-dollar, generally, but I'm not opposed to it. I rarely drink a frozen or rocks margarita anymore, but as the proportion of tequila in the drink goes down, the quality of the tequila seems to matter less. As for triple sec, I'll second the mention of Patron Citronge. It's nice stuff. I use homemade orange liqueur generally, Cointreau occasionally. Instead of Gran Marnier, I usually buy GranGala at 2/3 the price. It's brandy-based, and a very reasonable substitute. This makes a very different drink, but it's quite good, too.

Oh, and if you can find agave syrup at your health food store or a good grocery store, it's a nice way to add extra sweetness if you and/or your guests prefer, and it boosts the agave flavor, too, of course.

By the way, that 3:2:1 formula is really a drink with endless variations. Sub cognac for the tequila and use lemon juice instead of lime, and you have a Sidecar. Use gin instead of the tequila and you've got a Pegu Club cocktail (though there's a lot of debate about the proportions on this drink). Vodka as the base spirit plus a splash of cranberry juice and you have the original recipe for the Cosmpolitan (for those so inclined).

[bigtoys]

Had a marg last night with Don Julio blanco, Gran Marnier and the juice from some pretty good size limes along with a bit of syrup...one of my better creations.