It usually contains Tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, a lime wheel & a salted rim. Although the proportions may vary depending on sources & personal preferences, the ingredients are pretty standard. This means the only difficulty in creating a good Margarita cocktail is to use high-quality products, fresh limes & a great shake. I like Margaritas tart & low on booze when I pair them with food & I will spike them with more Tequila when drunk as an apéritif. On the other hand, if I want it as a digestif I’ll add a teaspoon or two of agave nectar.
Most of the time you’ll see a Margarita in its eponymous glass with a salted rim & a lime wheel. It can be served straight-up, as is proposed in most recipes, on the rocks if you want something lighter and more refreshing or blended with ice, also known as Frozen Margarita. I’m more of a shake & strain kind of guy, but I occasionally have it with a pile of frozen lime juice for a really sour experience.
Cocktail Portrait
Category: The Classics/Prohibition era
Difficulty: Easy
ABV: Medium-Strong (25-35%)
The History
The Margarita has a really obscure history behind its creation. The most common one is that it originated from the Daisy which has pretty similar ingredients swapping the Tequila for Brandy. Margarita is the Spanish word for Daisy. The Margarita then became a staple of the prohibition era cocktails. The first documented information comes from a journalist by the name of James Graham who claimed to have found this drink in Tijuana, Mexico in 1936. Other stories include Carlos “Danny” Herrera creating this cocktail for a dancer called Marjorie King in 1938 or Francisco “Pancho” Morales inventing it in 1942, but since James Graham wrote on it before these claims I tend to lean toward this source. It has since then been declared by some people to be the most popular cocktail in the world. I don’t know about that, although it is surely a classic of this era and is still incredibly beloved nowadays.
The Recipes
My usual
4 part Tequila Blanco
2 part Orange liqueur
1 part fresh lime juice
The IBA recipe
7 parts Tequila Blanco
4 parts Cointreau
3 parts fresh lime juice
A well known recipe also calls for a ratio of 3:2:1
3 parts of Tequila Blanco
2 parts of lime juice
1 part Orange Liqueur
Apart from the ratios, there are numerous variants on some of the ingredients. Margarita Del Bum employs Tequila Reposado and an equal part mix of Grand Marnier and Triple Sec. Furthermore, Tommy’s Margarita uses some agave nectar and skips the Orange Liqueur. It’s a cocktail that’s fun to play around with various tart fruits or different types of agave spirits.
Other alternatives exist such as the Frozen Margarita as mentioned earlier, as well as the Blue Margarita, which calls for a sweeter Orange Liqueur: the Blue Curaçao. A popular high-end version is the Cadillac Margarita, using Grand Marnier which is a blend of Cognac and bitter Orange Liqueur.
The Ingredients
Tequila
First of all, 100% Blue Weber Agave Tequila is not a must nor a recommendation but an obligation when you want to make a decent Margarita, so please respect the spirit and abstain from Mixto. The other thing to look out for in order to obtain a more authentic version of the product is diffuse Tequila which is a method of extraction that often uses raw agave and somewhat eliminates all of the beautiful & delicate cooked agave aromas. The Blanco is the purest form of Tequila without any wood imparting some of its flavours, this means that you have a nice strong agave scent that pairs greatly with salt and citrus. The caramelly, spicy and woody notes that come with Reposado, Añejo or even Extra-Añejo delivers more complex and subtle flavours that can get lost pretty quickly in the boldness of lime juice & orange liqueur, but then again brings another dimension to the cocktail. Exploring the different types of Tequila, either from The Highlands (Los Altos) or the Lowlands (Tequila Valley) is a nice way to add a layer of complexity, each bringing forward distinct flavours. A favourite of mine would be one of the Highlands Tequila which delivers a peppery spiciness & some zesty citrus notes which complement the cocktail wonderfully. The most important to remember is to use some high-quality spirit and have fun experimenting with the different types available, adjusting the ratios as needed.
Orange Liqueur
Several products are available depending on whether you’re looking for sweet or dry in your drink. I strongly suggest getting something with more alcohol here as it is (in general) a sign of quality. The most popular choice is Cointreau as dictated by the IBA. It’s fairly dry and offers aromas of bitter oranges with a hint of spices and is 40% ABV (80 proof) which is pretty standard in its category. Otherwise, many options of Triple Sec are available like Patrón Citrónge which is usually cheaper and 35% ABV (70 proof) or Luxardo Triplum which is similar in taste to Cointreau and is 39% ABV (78 proof). Then again if you want something a little more sugary I would suggest going for a bottle of Curaçao which is usually sweet & spicy and was originally made with a base of brandy. In this category, try to avoid the blue stuff as it is only a colouring agent which doesn’t add anything except some vibrant artificial glow and will mostly make you panic next morning when you look down the toilet. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is an excellent quality product with some bitter orange mingling with vanilla & baking spices offered at 40% ABV (80 proof). More traditional Curaçao including some brandy would be the well-known Grand Marnier with its Cognac and Orange Liqueur blend providing depth to the liqueur with notes of wood & dried fruits at 40% ABV (80 proof). Copper & Kings Destillaré Intense Orange Curaçao which is a higher proof spirit at 45% ABV (90 proof) and gives this sweet candied orange peel dipped in warm honey kind of flavour would be a delicious option. If you feel creative, skip the orange aspect and go with another type of fruit liqueur such as Chambord, Limoncello or any Crème de Cassis.
Lime
Fresh Lime juice. That’s the only thing you should retain from this whole post. It’s not clear which type is the traditional one so it’s up to you to figure out what you prefer. Persian limes are usually less tart & aromatic, albeit sweeter than Key limes which are super fragrant, bitter & acidic but are painfully small & full of seeds. If you’re looking to lose some enamel go with the Kaffir lime which ups the sourness to another level.
Salt
For the salt, a general rule of thumb is to use less than you think. A fine rim or a large dip on only one side of the glass is perfect. If you like it intense go ahead and make a generous plunge, add some drops of a saline solution or a pinch of it, however, if you’re making some for guests or customers, go easy on it. Table salt is fine here but if you feel fancy you could use sea salt, which has more minerals that imparts a complex flavour or Himalayan Pink salt which is even bolder. For the creative ones out there try some various smoked salts to making a rim bursting with savoury aromas (which is incredible in a smoky Mezcal Margarita). Some people omit the salt altogether which is fine and also the way to make another classic the: Tommy’s Margarita.
3-word Description
Tequila, Tart & Citrusy.
The References
David Wondrich (5 May 2010). "Behind the Drink: The Margarita". Liquor.com. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
Lisa Bramen, "The History of the Margarita", Smithsonian, May 5, 2009.
Picture is from nationalmargaritaday.com