I had my first Margarita when I was in college. A friend and I went to a country dance club (I know... I know... I was young) and after several beers, I decided that I needed to try a Margarita. This was a strange decision on many levels. First, I was in a country dance club. Not many of the cowboys were drinking Margaritas so I was going to stand out a bit. Second, country dance clubs are typically not known for outstanding bartending. As you would expect, I ended up with a nasty Margarita and everyone in the bar thought I was a little, um, different. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
That experience dampened my desire for Margaritas for over a decade. But then, for an anniversary trip, the Tiki Gal and I went on a Caribbean cruise. Before our stop in Cozumel, the cruise director mentioned that a restaurant called Pancho's Backyard had the best Margaritas around. The Tiki Gal and I had lunch at Pancho's and I ordered a Margarita. I was happy to find that the cruise director was right. The Margarita was very good and very strong. After that, I was hooked.
Cozumel also played a big part in changing Carol's mind about Margaritas. She always claimed to not like them until we all went on a cruise and stopped in Cozumel. We went on a snorkeling excursion and, afterwards, the snorkeling guides broke out a big insulated jug of Margaritas. Since snorkeling makes you thirsty, Carol decided that a Margarita was better than nothing so she tried one. Then she tried another one. We lost track of how many she tried but she eventually tried enough that she decided she liked Margaritas after all. The moral to this story is, if you think you don't like Margaritas, go to Cozumel. You will like Margaritas before you come home.
The secret to making a good Margarita at home is to use good tequila. I personally like Sauza Conmemorativo and Sauza Hornitos. Each is tasty and smooth but are not overly expensive. I've tried many other kinds of tequila but I prefer these two.
I use Finest Call Premium Sweet and Sour mix. You can get it at the local supermarket as well as at the liquor store.
Here are my favorite Margarita recipes.
A Really Good Margarita
Ingredients: 4 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. Cointreau, 1 oz. brandy
Instructions: Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into a salt rimmed Margarita glass over ice and serve. For a frozen Margarita, pour all contents into a blender with 1 cup ice and blend well.
Comments: I prefer Margaritas on the rocks. Guys who order frozen Margaritas look a little, um, different. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Mango Margarita
Ingredients: 5 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. mango rum
Comments: Carol ordered a Mango Margarita at a restaurant and enjoyed it so I tried to recreate it. I'm not a fan of mango but if you are, this drink is for you.
Melon Margarita
Ingredients: 5 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. melon liqueur
Comments: This tastes like a Jolly Rancher for adults.
Margarita in the Raw
Ingredients: 2.5 oz. fresh lime juice, 1.5 oz. simple syrup, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. Cointreau, 1 oz. brandy
Instructions: Squeeze limes and then strain juice (pulp and seeds have no place in a Margarita.) To make simple syrup, boil 1 cup of water. Turn off the heat and then mix in 2 cups of sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and let cool.
Comments: This is a recipe the Tiki Gal and I concocted one summer night. It is my favorite Margarita.
A word of warning: these Margaritas, especially the Really Good Margarita and Margarita in the Raw, are potent. Most mixed drinks have one or two ounces of liquor. These have four ounces. If you don't drink much, one should be your limit. Most people can handle two but you should probably stop there. Trust me. These drinks don't taste like they have much alcohol so you may be tempted to drink more. Stop at two. I've seen the effects of people drinking more than two. It isn't pretty. Stop at two.
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