Our search for the perfect margarita has led us to this recipe after much research. There were several variables to consider. If it’s too strong you can only have one. If it’s too sour you only want one. When it’s too sweet you can get two down but it leaves a bad aftertaste. So here is what we have found for the perfect margarita.

Let’s talk about tequila. In this photo (and video) we show a tequila that has additives. Additives are a controversial subject in the tequila world and for purists, there are plenty of choices without them. We happen to like some of the tequilas that do have additives and it matters a lot less when you are mixing it. The Don Julio Blanco is good for this recipe and the additives are somewhat subtle, unlike most of the celebrity tequilas that barely taste like tequila. Someday we’ll post a longer conversation on this topic.

Watch a Video

Bartender seems to be Kelly’s job for the most part so she shows you how to make the Perfect Margarita in this video.

The Ingredients

• 1.5 oz lime juice
• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 1.5 oz orange liquer-preferrably Cointreau
• 1 oz simple syrup
• Ice
• Float of Grand Marnier
• Salt rim of glass (coarse salt works great)

In addition to your tequila of choice you will need lime, Cointreau, simple syrup, Grand Marnier and salt for the rim is optional. Never use sweet and sour for a good margarita. It is just not as good as lime juice and Cointreau!

The Glass

Choosing the right glass is important. So many restaurants think it is fancy to serve margaritas in some kind of chalise or unwieldy giant, heavy martini-like glass. These are difficult to drink out of. We like a nice, practical pint glass for this beverage.

Salt the Rim

Salt the rim of your pint glass if you want. It is totally acceptable to have a margarita without the salt rim if you prefer. Or mix it up and have one with and one without. Who cares? You need to pour your salt into a flat dish or container with room for the rim of your glass. Use course Kosher salt. It is a bigger grain than table salt and will be more enjoyable. Flake salt is really good but it’s harder to get it to stick. Run a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass to wet it and then dip it into your salt. Another technique is to roll the rim through the salt. This is how you get salt further down the outside of the glass.

1 1/2 Ounces Lime Juice

In your cocktail shaker, put 1 1/2 oz of lime juice. Squeeze fresh limes for this. It’s so much better. We buy the bag of limes and then use a juice squeezer to squeeze them into a pint jar. Then we are ready to make several margaritas.

2 Ounces Tequila

Next add 2 ounces of your tequila of choice. We used to make this with 3 ounces but when guests had two margaritas it was a little bit too much so we scaled it back to 2 ounces and it works better.

1 1/2 Ounces Cointreau

Next we add 1 1/2 ounces of Cointreau. Triple Sec can be substituted here but it just isn’t as good. You’ll taste the difference.

1 Ounce Simple Syrup

We need 1 ounce of simple syrup. This is really easy to make and then you can keep a bottle of it in the refrigerator to have on hand for a variety of uses. Take 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and combine them in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and get all the sugar melted. Let it cool and afterward pour it into a container for storage. You need to keep it refrigerated.

Add Ice

Put ice in the other half of your cocktail shaker. Use enough to fill it about half way.

Shake

Pour in your mixture and shake it lightly. Just tossing it back and forth a couple times is sufficient.

Pour Everything In Your Glass

After shaking it, pour all the contents into your glass with the salted rim, ice and all

Add Ice and Grand Marnier

Top up the glass with another ice cube or two and then finish with a generous float of Grand Marnier. How much depends on how sweet you want to make it. We like about a 2 ounce pour but you can add more or less.

Garnish With Lime

Garnish with a lime wedge. If you’d rather not have a pint sized drink, you can pour this into two rocks glasses and share it with a friend. Repeat as necessary.

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Here are some other cocktail recipes:

• Mango Margarita
• Chupacabra

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