When I sit down to enjoy a cocktail at the end of a hot summer day, I want it to be citrusy and refreshing. I want it to be sweet and tangy and invigoratingly cold. No cocktail fits the bill better than a tasty margarita. Traditionally made with tequila and flavored with lime, margaritas now come in every flavor imaginable and in all the colors of the rainbow. I have gathered up recipes for my five favorite margarita incarnations below. Hopefully you find a new favorite along the way.
I don’t know all that much about what constitutes a good tequila, but thankfully Cindy Ambuehl does. She wrote a helpful post outlining the different types of tequila, and offering suggestions for the best tequilas at different price points. You should definitely check it out before heading to the liquor store.
Classic margaritas are simple and delicious: lime juice, orange liqueur, and tequila over ice. Cocktail historians (yes, there is such a thing) aren’t sure about the origins of the original margarita. Was it concocted by a woman named Margarita who loved to entertain at her home? Maybe it was made for a showgirl who was allergic to all alcohol except for tequila. Whatever its origins, margaritas have become a go-to cocktail for parties around the world.
CLASSIC MARGARITA
To make: Begin by rimming 4 margarita glasses with lime and then dipping each glass upside down into coarse salt. Pour 1 cup of your favorite tequila, 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, and 1/3 cup triple sec into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to mix, and then divide the cocktail among the four glasses. Garnish each glass with a slice of lime.
Just this summer I discovered a new margarita: the rhubarb-arita. This cocktail is definitely outside the traditional margarita box, but has all the delicious tartness of the lime-based version. The base of this pretty margarita is fresh rhubarb syrup. To make the syrup, simply strain fresh rhubarb sauce through a sieve or colander to collect the rhubarb flavored simple syrup. The tangy syrup makes for a tart, refreshing cocktail.
RHUBARB-ARITA
To make: Mix together equal parts rhubarb syrup, tequila, and fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake over ice and pour into a margarita glass that has been rimmed with sugar. Garnish with a lime.
One of my favorite summer drinks is the simple and quick beer-ita! The ingredients (shown above) are anything but traditional, but the flavor is very familiar.
I shared the recipe for these delicious BEER-ITAS yesterday. You really can’t go wrong serving a pitcher of beer-itas at a summer party.
photo via Brown Eyed Baker
If you would like to have your margarita and eat it too, try out these delicious Margarita Cupcakes from Brown Eyed Baker. Both the cupcake batter and the buttercream frosting are boozy, so be sure to keep these cakes away from little hands.
Speaking of desserts that are NOT kid-friendly, there is nothing juvenile about this Cadillac Margarita Ice Cream recipe from The V Spot. Best of all, you do not need an ice cream maker to make a batch. Just combine the ingredients, beat with a mixer, and freeze! Scoop out the creamy margarita and serve in a margarita glass rimmed with lime and sugar.
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Thanks, Jessica
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