by Laura Kleban

Created on: May 26, 2010

I could just go on and on and on about Margaritas! Thankfully one of my favorite party drinks has really gained popularity over the past few years and many other people are sharing my passion for this delicious beverage!

The varieties of Margaritas are as diverse as can be. Standing behind a bar for a few years, I have had the opportunity to get rather creative with different versions of Margaritas. In this article I will give you a few of my favorite versions of the delicious and refreshing Margarita cocktail.

Before I give you the recipes, I feel it is important to mention that a good Margarita begins with good tequila! I am a fan of Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila, but I have also found the brand Sauza Gold to be satisfactory when making this libation. A “top shelf” margarita will use better tequila and other ingredients to make an even smoother drink. My recipes will give you suggestions as to which tequila to use and when!

All of the following drink recipes are for one single margarita. Feel free to make more than one at a time if you are hosting a party!

Traditional Lime Margarita (on the rocks):

Ingredients:

2 Oz. Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila

1 Oz. Triple Sec (an orange flavored, inexpensive liqueur)

2 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

5 Oz. Margarita Mix or Sweet and Sour Mix

Lime wedges and salt

Method:

Rim your glass of choice with salt and fill it with ice to the top. Add the ingredients in order and enjoy!

Traditional Frozen Margarita:

Ingredients:

2 Oz. Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila

1 Oz. Triple Sec

1 Cup crushed ice

4 Oz. Margarita Mix

Lime wedges and salt

Method:

Salt the rim of your glass as mentioned above. Add the ingredients to your blender and blend for about 1 minute until all of the ice is crushed and well blended. This margarita uses less mix because of the addition of ice in the blender. Pour into your salted glass and enjoy!

Coconut-Melon Margarita:

Ingredients:

1 Oz. Sauza Gold Tequila

Half Oz. Malibu Coconut Rum

Half Oz. Melon Liqueur (Such as Midori)

2 Oz. Pineapple Juice

3 Oz. Margarita Mix

Lime Wedges, Pineapple Chunks Salt

Method:

Salt the Rim of the glass and pack it with ice. In a separate mixing tin, add the ingredients and shake well. Pour over ice, and garnish with a lime wedge and a pineapple chunk. Yummy!

Perfect Peach Margarita:

Ingredients:

2 Oz. Cuervo 1800 Gold Tequila

1 Oz. Peach Schnapps

1 Oz. Grand Marnier Liqueur

4 Oz. Sour Mix

2 Tsp. Fresh Lime Juice

Method:

Shake all of the above ingredients in a mixing tin with lots of ice. Serve in a martini glass, chilled.

Authors Notes:

Margarita Mix: Not all products are created equal, and your results will vary depending on which margarita mix you choose. As a rule I usually use Mr.T’s Sweet and Sour Mix instead of Margarita Mix, but it really is up to your personal taste!

Salt: Kosher salt is the key when garnishing your drink.  It is a much courser salt than table salt and will stick to the rim of the glass much better than table salt. The easiest way to salt the rim of a glass for salt or sugar is to take a lime wedge (or an orange wedge if you are switching it up), run it around the rim of the glass and then dip it in your salt dip. Salt dips can now be purchased at most grocery stores and can be found with the cocktail mixers, but kosher salt can also be used for all salt rimming. For sugar rims, just pour sugar on a flat plate, moisten the rim with your fruit and dip away! The sugar from the fruit will help the salt or sugar stick to the glass.

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