There are few things better than sitting down in a Mexican restaurant and having a big pitcher of Margaritas. One of those things is being able to have a classic margarita at home.

What is a Margarita?

The classic Margarita is a deliciously refreshing tequila based cocktail. They are instantly recognizable by their pale color, wedge garnish, and most notably their salted rim.

The Margarita gets its name from a drink originally published in the 1930s. The cocktail published had very similar ingredients and was known as the Tequila Daisy. Daisy translated into Spanish is Margarita.

What does it taste like?

Margaritas are made up of three distinct flavors; Tequila, lime, and Orange. Tequila is produced from the blue agave plant. Depending on the region in which the blue agave was grown, tequilas flavor can range from sweet and subtle to earthy and distinct. Silver tequilas, like the 1800 used in this recipe, tend to be the most pure and pleasant tasting, in our opinion.

The lime flavor, of course, comes from the lime juice and lime wedge garnish. And the orange flavor comes from Triple Sec.

Is Triple Sec necessary?

Triple Sec is not necessarily a requirement for a Margarita recipe. Oftentimes people will use Triple Sec and curacao interchangeably.

Oftentimes, you can replace Triple Sec with a higher end liquor like Grand Marnier or Cointreau. What is better in a margarita, Cointreau or Triple Sec? You will likely not notice a difference in the flavor. The major difference is that Cointreau will have a higher alcohol content. Because of that, your drink will be stronger.

What occasions are they good for?

Margaritas are a fun, festive drink, that are appropriate for really any kind of celebration. They’re also just as good in a relaxing dinner setting.

If you’re expecting guests or having a party, you can make this into a pitcher. Use the same ingredients and just multiply everything by 5.

Variations

Another thing that’s great about the Margarita, is that it is very versitile. With just a substitution or an addition of an ingredient or two, you can make several different variations. For example. You can make a Blue Margarita, a Strawberry Margarita, a Blueberry Margarita, or a frozen Margarita.

What food best pairs with a Margarita?

In our experience, nothing goes better with a Margarita than Mexican style food. The sweet citrus of the lime goes great with the Chili Spice of most Mexican dishes.

How do you make a Margarita from scratch?

To make a Margarita from scratch, you’re going to need just a couple of ingredients and a couple of bar supplies.

Go ahead and get out your drink shaker, jigger, tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and Triple Sec. Pull out your Margarita glass and put ice in your shaker.

What is the best tequila?

It is recommended that you get the highest quality tequila that you can afford. The higher quality the tequila is, the smoother the drink will taste.

We prefer Patron silver or 1800 silver. But honestly, whatever tequila tastes best to you is the tequila that you should use.

Ingredients

One of the best parts of the Margarita is its simplicity. You only need three ingredients; tequila, lime, and Triple Sec.

You will need:

– 2 oz tequila

– 1 oz Triple Sec

– 1 oz lime juice

– .5 simple syrup

Recipe

You will be sipping on this classic Margarita in no time.

Step One

Run a sliced lime wedge around the rim of your Margarita glass. Getting a good layer of juice all the way around. Now dip the rim of your Margarita glass into Margarita salt. Set your glass to the side.

Step Two

Fill your shaker with ice.

Step Three

Pour your tequila, Triple Sec, simple syrup, and lime juice over the ice in the shaker.

You can use Cointreau instead of triple sec. They are both very similar orange liqueurs.

Step Four

Place the top on your shaker and shake for about 10 seconds.

Step Five

Remove the lid from your shaker and carefully pour the drink into your Margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

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