AI-generated image
Margarita
Margarita: blanco tequila, fresh lime and orange liqueur shaken ice-cold and served in a half-salted glass
Several towns along Mexico's northern border, from Tijuana and Ensenada to Ciudad Juárez, claim the margarita as their own, born in the 1930s and 40s when visitors crossed over for tequila and tacos. Today it is the Friday-evening drink of norteño restaurants and family parties, poured beside carne asada and guacamole. This version is for adults only and it is simple: good 100% agave blanco tequila, fresh lime and orange liqueur. It should be bright and tart first, then gently sweet, with the salt on the rim making the lime taste even sharper. The usual mistake is reaching for bottled lime juice or ready-made sour mix, which gives a flat, sugary drink with a chemical bite. Squeeze limes just before shaking. A second slip is salting the whole rim inside and out; salt only the outside of half the rim so each sip is your choice. It is ready when the shaker is too cold to hold comfortably and a thin layer of ice crystals floats on top. Enjoy one slowly and drink responsibly. Chef's tip: use coarse sea salt mixed with a little grated lime zest for the rim; it sticks better and smells of lime.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the margarita
- 1 lime wedgeto wet the rim
- 1 tbsp coarse sea saltfor the rim
- 3 ½ tbsp blanco tequila100% agave
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juicefreshly squeezed, about 1 lime
- 1 ½ tbsp orange liqueurtriple sec style
- 10 ice cubes
To serve
- ½ tsp lime zest (optional)finely grated, mixed into the salt
For the alcohol-free version
- 1 lime wedge (optional)
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt (optional)
- 2 tbsp lime juice (optional)
- 3 tbsp orange juice (optional)freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp agave syrup (optional)
- 3 ½ tbsp soda water (optional)chilled
- 10 ice cubes (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Spread 1 tbsp coarse sea salt on a saucer and mix in ½ tsp lime zest if using. Run 1 lime wedge around the outside of half the rim of a short glass or coupe and roll that wet edge in the salt. Chill the glass.
2 minStep 2: Put 3 ½ tbsp blanco tequila, 1 ½ tbsp lime juice and 1 ½ tbsp orange liqueur in a shaker, fill with 6 ice cubes and shake hard for 12–15 seconds, until the tin is frosted and painfully cold.
1 minStep 3: Strain into the salted glass, either straight up or over the remaining 4 ice cubes, and serve at once.
1 minStep 4: Alcohol-free version: salt half the rim of a glass using 1 lime wedge and 1 tbsp coarse sea salt in the same way.
2 minStep 5: Alcohol-free version: shake 2 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp orange juice and 1 tbsp agave syrup with half the 10 ice cubes until frosted, strain over the rest of the ice and top with 3 ½ tbsp soda water.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does margarita take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Power packApple, pear, kiwi and celery juice
A sweet, energising juice of apples, pears and kiwi fruit with a stick of celery, all used unpeeled for extra goodness. It's naturally sweet, so it needs no sugar. Serve well chilled.
Guava delightGuava, mango and banana drink
A thick, fragrant blend of ripe guava, mango and banana, boosted with a spoonful of guava powder from the health shop. The book calls it a modern-day vitality drink, drawing on guava's long use in traditional Indian medicine. Serve it well chilled; sieve it if you don't like the little guava seeds.
PingadoHot milk with coffee
Order 'um pingado' at the balcão of any São Paulo padaria at 7 in the morning and the attendant pours hot milk into a ridged glass tumbler (the copo americano) and 'drips' in a splash of strong coffee, hence the name. It is milkier and gentler than a média (half coffee, half milk), creamy and lightly sweet, usually drunk standing up with a pão na chapa, a toasted buttered roll. At home you need strong filter coffee and milk heated until steaming. Scalding the milk is the frequent mistake, as boiled milk tastes flat and forms a skin. Chef's tip: froth the hot milk for a few seconds with a whisk or by pouring it back and forth between two jugs before adding the coffee, as padaria machines do.
Brazilian