Margaritas

FMM: The recipe below from Cook's Illustrated is the one we use for both regular and Frozen Margaritas; it is excellent. The key in that recipe is making your own Citrus Mix. A Blue Margarita is made by replacing the Triple Sec with Blue Curaçao.

The margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with orange-flavoured liqueur, such as Triple Sec, and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. It is the most common tequila-based cocktail in the United States. The drink is served shaken with ice, on the rocks, blended with ice (frozen margarita) or without ice (straight up). Freshly squeezed lime juice is the key ingredient.

There is no solid proof who "invented" the Margarita. Another explanation is that the Margarita is merely a popular American drink, the Daisy, remade with tequila instead of brandy, which became popular during Prohibition as people drifted over the border for alcohol.

According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the margarita is related to the brandy daisy (margarita is Spanish for "daisy"), remade with tequila instead of brandy. (Daisies are a family of cocktails that include a base spirit, liqueur, and citrus. A sidecar and gin daisy are other related drinks.) There is an account from 1936 of Iowa newspaper editor James Graham finding such a cocktail in Tijuana, years before any of the other margarita "creation myths". It is likely that the proclaimed inventors merely perfected the "Tequila Daisy".

Without noting a specific recipe or inventor, a drink called the Tequila Daisy was also mentioned in the Syracuse Herald (Syracuse, New York) as early as 1936.

An Older Recipe

I found this simple recipe at a site that sells tequila that mixes these ingredients in a shaker with ice. There is no Triple Sec or Curaçao. They say it is an old recipe.

1 1/2 parts Reposado tequila
1 1/2 parts Agave Syrup
3 parts Lime Juice
Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a salt rimmed glass.

Another recipe that just mixes the ingredients in a shaker with ice:
1 1/2 oz blanco tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz light agave nectar
1/2 oz premium orange liqueur.

See for the various types of tequila.

To salt the rim of the glass: Run a wedge of lime wedge around the rim of a highball glass. Dip the moistened rim in kosher salt that has been sprinkled on a small plate.

To make Frozen Margaritas: In a blender, combine equal parts quality Tequila, Triple Sec, Margarita Citrus Mix (see recipe below), and ice. Whirl until ice is crushed and mixture well blended. Serve in Margarita glass with rock salt on rims of glasses and a lime slice.

Blue Margaritas: Use Blue Curaçao to make a blue margarita.

The IBA (IBA Official list of Cocktails) standard is 7:4:3, that is, 50% tequila, 29% Cointreau, 21% fresh lime juice. The "Original Margarita" recipe, as given by Cointreau on their website, has slightly more of their own sweet liqueur: 1 part white tequila, 1/2 part Cointreau, and 1/2 part fresh squeezed lime juice.

I prefer the proportions that Cook's Illustrated use in their recipe below, which is equal parts of each. Margaritas are traditionally made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, but not surprisingly Cook’s various experiments led to a different approach -- steeping the zest (no white pith) from the lime and lemon in their juices. This results in a full citrus flavor without the bitterness the white pith would contribute, and the addition of a little sugar to the mix counters any harshness.

Mexican Margarita Recipe
from https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/, Mely Martínez

The creation of the Margarita Recipe cocktail goes back to the year 1942 in a cantina (bar) in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. It's considered the most popular cocktail in Mexico and you can find it at any bar or restaurant where it's offered as an aperitif. It's usually served in a unique glass.

FMM: I have not tried this recipe, but it is given 10/10 in a blog by https://www.thekitchn.com/ that tried out 6 different margarita recipes. It also has a rating of 4.75 at https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/. The main criticism comes from those who prefer a margarita made with just

Syrup:
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup water
Makes enough for 8 margaritas.

Cocktail Margarita:
1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice plus extra for brushing
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 Cup crushed ice
4 Tablespoons tequila Noble Reposado
1 1/2 Tablespoons triple sec liqueur
2 Tablespoons natural syrup*
1 slice lime to decorate

Natural Syrup: Mix sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over a medium-high heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved and the syrup has formed. About 3 minutes. Cool before using to make the cocktail.

Cocktail Margarita:

Brush the rim of a cocktail glass with lime juice. Spread out the salt in a small plate and dip the rim of the glass into it to coat. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Put some ice into a cocktail shaker and add the remaining ingredients.

Cover and shake vigorously until a mist forms on the outside of the shaker.

Strain into the prepared cocktail glass and decorate with a slice of lime.

Notes
*The recipe is from Mexico, the Cookbook. It indicates to use 1 1/2 tablespoons of syrup. I adjusted it to my own taste and to suit my homemade syrup recipe. You can buy the natural syrup at your local supermarket or make the above recipe the way I do it at home. You will have enough syrup to make 8 margaritas or reserve it to sweeten your tea or favorite drinks.

1 serving

The Best Fresh Margaritas
from http://www.cooksillustrated.com/

Also see Pineapple, Raspberry and Strawberry variations to the right. For a Blue Margarita, use Blue Curaçao in place of Triple Sec.

Why this recipe works: The best margarita recipe would produce a drink with a balanced blend of fresh citrus flavors and tequila. We discovered the correct proportions (equal parts juice, orange liqueur, and tequila) for the best balance. The right alcohol (Triple Sec and a resposado tequila, made from 100 percent blue agave) gave our margarita recipe a mellow, delicate flavor. And the best citrus mix (lemon and lime zest steeped in their juices) gave it a deep, refreshing citrus flavor.

The longer the zest and juice mixture is allowed to steep, the more developed the citrus flavors in the finished margaritas. We recommend steeping for the full 24 hours, although the margaritas will still be great if the mixture is steeped only for the minimum 4 hours. If you're in a rush and need to serve margaritas immediately, omit the zest and skip the steeping process altogether.