Margaritas are Mexico’s best known– and loved – cocktail for good reason. Long after the fads of Fluffy Ducks, Long Island Iced Teas and Harvey Wallbangers have been and gone, the Margarita still reigns supreme. With just three or four core ingredients, a classic Margarita is simple to make, simple to drink and simply irresistible.
Margarita
What is it?
A Margarita is a classic mix of premium tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, Cointreau and a little sugar syrup.
Where is it from?
Not quite so easy to answer. The Margarita definitely hails from Mexico, but there are numerous fables regarding its invention. We like to believe that there was an early recipe for a cocktail with the same ingredients called a Daisy. In Mexico the name for the pretty little flower, a daisy, is a Margarita. While this tequila and lime cocktail was doing the global rounds by the name ‘Daisy’, the Mexicans were drinking the same drink by the name Margarita. A cocktail by any other name smells just as sweet.
What does it taste like?
Zesty, crisp and refreshing. Served over ice, Margaritas soften as you drink.
Tip
There are Margaritas. And then there are Frozen Margaritas. To make a Frozen Margarita, throw a handful of crushed ice into a blender, add all the ingredients above and whizz until texture is light and fluffy. It’s a delicious, summery, refreshing, adult snow cone.
Ingredients
- 45ml tequila
- 20ml lime juice
- 15ml Cointreau
- 5ml sugar syrup
- Garnish: 1/2 salt rim and a lime wedge
Method
1. Prepare your (already cold) Margarita glass. Firstly, moisten its rim by running the cut edge of a lime wedge around it. Then, upend the glass and dip it into a shallow saucer of salt; a ½cm rim is all you need.
2. Next, create your Margarita. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, give it a good shimmy and strain into your chilled, salt-rimmed Margarita glass.
