The Perfect Margarita – A Satisfyingly Delicious Distraction

Often times it seems like a daily dose of the news is enough to make even the most optimistic person anxious. And if the current headlines are any indication of what’s on the horizon, it becomes increasingly necessary to find a distraction, any distraction, to help us get through daily life. So, we started revisiting the arts – the bartending arts – and will be offering numerous lists of favorite concoctions and step-by-step instructions on how to prepare them at home. To kick it off, lets explore how the perfect margarita makes a satisfyingly delicious distraction.

For any artist – whether painter, dancer, musician or mixologist – it’s important to start with the necessary tools of the trade. In this case, a basic bartender’s kit should include the following: a shaker or mixing tin, a proper measuring tool called a jigger, a strainer, a knife for slicing fruit and a spoon. As an added bonus, it’s also a good idea to invest in a lemon or citrus squeezer to be able to add fresh citrus juice to your mixes. If you can’t find a citrus squeezer the next best thing is the old fashioned way of slicing and squeezing wedges by hand. Lastly, make sure you have an ample supply of ice and you’ve got all your bases covered.

Now let’s shift to ingredients. The base spirit for a margarita is tequila. Most people will tell you that since you are mixing citrus juice and other things together with the tequila, it’s ok to skip the good stuff. While that’s generally true but if you don’t desire a syrupy mess and taste is important, then choosing a GOOD tequila is a must. And our preference is Don Juilo 70® Añejo Claro Tequila. Made from 100% blue agave, this smooth and crisp tequila is easily enjoyable by itself but also sets the right base for a truly enjoyable margarita.

Rounding out the classic ingredients are a premium triple sec (orange-based liqueur) called Cointreau and fresh lime juice. For the best results, slice a lime in half and using a citrus press extract the lime juice from both halves of the lime. Depending on taste, add a “splash” of either an organic margarita mix (and we recommend organic as it has less calories and no corn syrup or added sweeteners), blood orange, guava, pomegranate or another favorite juice, or just a “spalsh” of agave nectar. With all the ingredients in place, it’s time to mix them all together.

For a simple yet satisfying delicious distraction margarita, start off with a full glass of ice to the mixer. Next measure a full jigger of Don Julio tequila and add it to the ice (for a bolder, more potent margarita add a half jigger more of the Don Julio). Now add a half jigger of Cointreau to the tequila and ice. For that “top shelf” experience, add a little Grand Marnier which is a premium orange liquor made with Cognac brandy. It blends in very well with Cointreau and adds an extra smoothness to the overall mix.

Add in the juice of a full lime to the mixing tin (note: an average lime yields about two teaspoons, or roughly 1 fl oz, of juice). For added flair, feel free to add a splash (roughly 1 – 2 fl oz’s) of your favorite juice. We really like blood orange as it blends in well with the Cointreau or an organic margarita mix – and an even smaller splash (less than 1 fl oz) of organic agave nectar depending on taste. Place the cover on your mixing tin and shake, shake, shake!

After shaking vigorously for a few moments, you are ready to enjoy! Add the mix to your glass and garnish with a lime wheel or wedge. For extra pizzazz, add it to a glass with a salted rim (the easiest way to add salt to the rim of a glass is to place coarse salt on a plate, rub a cut lime along the outer rim of your glass to moisten it, then dip the rim of the glass in the salt). Finally, sit back and enjoy your tasty distraction!

Keep checking back with us as we will be introducing many new recipes. Salud!