More bartending: Margarita

[chipotle]

I’ve been making margaritas before using a mix from the El Paso Chile Company, because I haven’t actually liked the “from scratch” ones I’ve tried. But, being out of mix, I decided to keep trying, and on my third attempt, I came up with this:

1½	oz. tequila
1	oz. orange liqueur
1	oz. key lime juice
½	oz. lemon juice
1	tbsp. simple syrup

Combine all the ingredients with plenty of ice in a shaker, and shake vigorously. Strain over cracked ice into a margarita or highball glass.

“Simple Syrup” is just two parts sugar to one part water—bring the water to a boil while stirring the sugar in and then let it cool. I’ve been using Orange Curacao as the liqueur, although the classic one to use to use is Cointreau. I also used two tequilas in the margarita tonight: one ounce of “gold tequila” and a half-ounce of a good Reposado. Specifically, I used Cabo Wabo, which is the brand from—don’t laugh—Sammy Hagar’s club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Yes, Sammy really does know his tequila. (The downside being that because it’s not cheap stuff, it’s, y’know, not cheap.)

Comments

[higginsdragon.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'll have to try this. I think also part of the reason 'from scratch' ones don't usually work is because a margarita requires sour mix, which if you make from scratch involves 18 oz. water, 12 oz. lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg white blended together. This would explain why the lemon juice and syrup, combined with the melted ice, makes a rough approximation. :)

Orange Curacao is probably better than Cointreau for a sweet margarita. Many folks I know, including myself, thinks Cointreau tastes like cough syrup.

I'll need to try a margarita like the one you made once I get higher quality tequila.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

The 'classic' margarita recipes I've seen are pretty much just tequila, fresh lime juice, and the orange liqueur in varying amounts, which... usually just tastes like you're sucking on a tequila-soaked lime. It was actually seeing a recipe for from-scratch sour mix that made me think 'I should add a bit of lemon juice and sugar syrup to this'. :) It's possible that if you're using fresh lime juice from really sweet limes you can get away with the original recipe; I'm using Nellie's key lime juice from concentrate. (The lemon juice was from the Italian version of the little plastic lemons, which actually *isn't* from concentrate.)

I'm not sure I've tried Cointreau straight, although perhaps I'm glad I didn't buy any...

[prickvixen.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm. I should go get some lemon and key lime juice. I've got Patron and Cointreau, myself... also a 1.75 of Sauza, in case I have to liquor up a lot of people at once.

Can you get key limes just anywhere, or is there a place you'd suggest?

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

I used Nellie's brand key lime juice, which you can find in a lot of stores. It's from concentrate, but it's still pretty good, and awfully convenient to have around for drinks that use lime juice. (Not to mention for making key lime pies -- the recipe they have on their bottle is easy, and is makes a pretty good pie.)

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

If we do end up rooming together at AC with jadedfox, I'll buy the stuff if you'll make the drinks. :-D