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Wanna know how to make a Margarita? It’s made of Tequila, Cointreau & Lime Juice to produce a sweet, yet tangy flavour. Here’s our quick & easy Margarita recipe you can make right now at home.
Wanna know how to make a Margarita? Great! You’re in the right place!
In my early years of drinking, the Margarita was my go-to cocktail of choice. Why? Honestly, because it was the only cocktail I knew the name of. Also, it’s tasty AF.
Of course, I knew the name of the cocktail because it’s one of the most famous cocktails in the World. Every bar with any kind of cocktail menu will have a Margarita on it.
It’s absolutely delicious and it’s easy to make a Margarita at home. Here’s how.
What is a Margarita?
A Margarita is a cocktail that consists of Tequila, Orange Liqueur, and Lime Juice. You serve the cocktail shaken with ice, poured into a Margarita Glass with salt around the rim.
The Origin of the Margarita
Where did the Margarita cocktail come from? Great question. The origin of the Margarita is highly debated, with a lot of interesting variations.
(Much like the Moscow Mule origin story).
One possible origin comes from David Wondrich writing on the Liquor website. Wondrich suggests the first recorded account of the Margarita was in 1936. A small-town newspaper editor by the name of James Graham wrote about it and popularised it.
Graham was taking in the sights of California with his wife when they decided to cross the border. By now, the Prohibition Era in the US was over. Americans could now enjoy a drink or seven on their own soil. But before the end of the US’s dry spell, Tijuana boasted over 150 drinking establishments.
By 1936, Tijuana was down to just 9 or 10 bars.
Still, Graham visited and found himself in one of the bars that had survived the economic cull. It was on the way to the bar that Graham found about the bars signature cocktail, courtesy of the Taxi Driver.
At that time, it was called the Tequila Daisy.
Related ArticleHow to Make a Quick & Easy Moscow Mule at Home
Tequila Daisy? WTF?
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: why is it called a Tequila Daisy and not Margarita? It’s a great question. Let me explain.
At the time, there was already a cocktail called the Daisy. It was a Brandy-based concoction that’d been around since the late 1870s.
So a Tequila Daisy is exactly what you think it is: a Daisy cocktail that substitutes Brandy for Tequila.
So, how was the Tequila Daisy Invented?
Graham wrote about how the cocktail was invented in his newspaper, the Moville, Iowa Mail.
As we know, the Tequila Daisy was invented in a Tijuana bar by the owner, Mr. Madden. By all accounts, Madden was not a talkative man, but Graham got him to tell his Tequila Daisy story.
“In mixing a drink, I grabbed the wrong bottle and the customer was so delighted that he called for another and spread the good news far and wide.”
So, why is it called a Margarita?
How did the name evolve from Tequila Daisy to Margarita? Well, Margarita is the Spanish word for Daisy.
It’s all fitting together nicely, isn’t it?
Other Margarita Origin Stories
Whilst James Graham’s account is the earliest recorded, there is still some dispute.
Some experts believe that a claim by Francisco Morales is actually the most credible.
Francisco Morales was a bartender in Tommy’s Bar in Juarez, Mexico when he invented the cocktail.
He was asked for a cocktail by a customer and accidentally created the famous cocktail. Morales had no idea how to make the customers drink, so winged it. Instead, he put together a concoction based on the bottles of booze that were close by.
Tequila, Cointreau and Lime Juice.
The customer loved it and asked him what the cocktail was called. The Margarita was born.
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What Tequila is Best for Margaritas?
Before we get into how to make a Margarita, let’s first take a look at which Tequila is the best to use for the cocktail.
The Tequila industry is huge. There are many different brands of Tequila out there for all occasions. All price ranges too.
Fortaleza Reposado
One of the best Tequila’s out there is the highly-rated Fortaleza Reposado Tequila. Not only is it highly-rated, but it’s also highly-priced too. It’s currently priced at £64.69 on Amazon – although running low on stock as I write this.
And the price might be justified. Fortaleza Reposado Tequila is on another level. It’s incredibly smooth to the taste; to the point where it’s almost like drinking velvet. I’ve never tasted a Tequila like it.
That’s probably why I wouldn’t choose it to make a Margarita. Whilst it would take the cocktail to a whole other level, Tequila like this is best served neat and sipped.
But, one Amazon reviewer had other ideas on the Margarita front:
“Simply delicious! I know it’s sacrilegious but it also makes a killer margarita!”
Sauza Silver Tequila
A better choice of Tequila to use in for Margarita purposes is Sauza Silver Tequila. It’s rated highly on Amazon and available to buy at a decent price (£18.98).
One verified purchaser on Amazon bought it for solely Margarita purposes:
“I bought this to make my favourite margaritas, Chili’s Presidente. Good for cocktails and good to drink neat. I love tequila it makes me happy.”
Olmeca Altos Tequila
Another good choice of a Tequila for Margaritas is Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata. It’s a similar price to the Sauza Silver Tequila at £19 and also has a high Amazon review rating too.
One Amazon reviewer is extremely happy with this Tequila for Margarita-making purposes:
“Well.. this just arrived. I had my ice machine prepped and I just had to immediately make a classic margarita using Cointreau… so good! Tastes the same as I have had in some very expensive bars.. very smooth.. yet to try neat but I dare not have another as it quite knocks you off your feet! Is good tequila a painkiller? I’m not sure.. but it tastes and feels great”
Verdict
The best Tequila for making Margaritas is either Sauza Silver Tequila or Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata.
Fortaleza Reposado Tequila is exquisite, but a little expensive as a cocktail ingredient. If you’re buying this Tequila. sip it and savour the flavour.
Now that we’ve picked our Tequila, let’s take a look at how to make a Margarita.
So, Wanna Know How To Make a Margarita?
A Margarita is made up of Tequila, Cointreau and Lime Juice. It’s served shaken, over ice in a Margarita glass.
Before we get into the Margarita recipe, let’s make the experience a whole log easier.
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How to Make a Margarita Quickly & Easily
Nobody wants the cocktail-making experience to be long and drawn out. You just want to make a quick, yet awesome, cocktail and get drinking it, am I right?
Here’s a list of cool tools to help speed up and perfect your cocktail-making game.
A Cocktail Shaker
A cocktail shaker will improve both your cocktail-making game and the taste of your concoctions.
Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you!
We’ve written a detailed article that compares some of the best Amazon Cocktail Shaker Sets available, but in short, our verdict is:
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
A Squeezer
Like the Margarita, a lot of cocktails out there required fresh lime or lemon juice. Getting that juice can be a pain in the arse if you don’t have the right tools for the job.
Enter the Chefbar Lemon Lime Squeezer. Before having this in my life, I didn’t bother making any cocktail with fresh lime juice. I’m lazy and it was too much hassle.
The Chefbar Squeezer changed all of that. You can squeeze a Lime (or a Lemon or an Orange) in a matter of seconds. Also, you won’t get seeds or pulp. Juice pure juice, baby! Wahoooo!
A Margarita Glass
You could have your Margarita in any cocktail glass. But that wouldn’t really be a proper Margarita, would it? Not in my book.
We recommend these cool Ravenhead Entertain Margarita glasses. They’re great quality and you can get a set of two for £6.87.
Now, let’s get to the recipe.
Margarita Recipe
Let’s take a look at how to make a Margarita. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- Tequila 35ml / 1.2oz.
- Cointreau 20ml / 0.7oz.
- Lime Juice 15ml / 0.5oz.
- a slice of lime, and salt around the rim of the glass to garnish.
Recipe
With a Cocktail Shaker:- Add Ice, Tequila, Cointreau, and Lime Juice to your cocktail shaker.
- Shake well.
- Strain into a Margarita glass.
- Garnish with a slice of lime, and salt around the rim of the glass.
- Add Ice, Tequila, Cointreau, and Lime Juice to a Margarita glass.
- Garnish with a slice of lime, and salt around the rim of the glass.
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FAQs
How Many Calories Are in a Margarita?
The calories for the Margarita work out like this:
- 35ml of Tequila is approx 76 calories.
- 20ml of Cointreau is approx 64 calories.
- 15ml of Lime Juice is approx 4 calories.
So, in total, our Margarita recipe has approx 144 calories.
How Much Tequila Goes into a Margarita?
The official recipe, as stated by the International Bartender Association, is 7:4:3. So, 50% Tequila, 29% Continreau and 21% lime juice.
Related ArticleWhat is Cointreau? Cointreau is a brand of Triple Sec. Find out more about it here.
How Much Alcohol is in a Margarita?
Two out of the three ingredients for a Margarita are alcohol: Tequila and Cointreau.
Tequila ranges between 35% and 55% alcohol content (between 70 and 110 proof in US terms). Cointreau has 40% alcohol content, which is 80 proof in US terms.
What Does a Margarita Taste Like?
Classic Margarita’s tend to have a number of different flavours.
First, the notes of sour citrus hit you. A split-second later, your mouth registers the taste of salt from the rim of the glass. Then comes the smoothness of the Tequila (if you’re using the good stuff) to leave you a warm boozy taste and feel.
Summary
So, what have we learned in our how to make a Margarita guide?
- The first recorded recipe was published in 1936.
- It’s of Mexican descent.
- Margarita means Daisy in Spanish.
- The name comes from the popular Daisy Cocktail, which contained Brandy instead of Tequila.
- It’s made using Tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice.
- The cocktail is shaken in a cocktail shaker and served over ice, with a slice of lime to garnish and salt around the rim of the glass.
- The Margarita is served in a Margarita glass.
- It has around 144 calories.
Want More Cocktail Ideas?
If you’re looking for more cocktail inspiration, then you should definitely check out our cocktail recipes hub. Here you’ll find over 100 free cocktail recipes to check out.
Happy mixing!
