Cinco de Mayo – is right around the corner!  I feel that Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos are the two national holidays of Hail M!

So what are you going to make?  Paloma or Margarita? Let’s make a Margarita!   It’ one of the most popular cocktails around and it amazes me that people tolerate bad ones and horrible sugary sour mix.   I am going to share with you a few  Margarita Recipes over the next few posts  – and yes one is a Mocktail!  You can pick your favorite.

Classic

This is the margarita that I learned as a base in my mixology classes and it works every time! 

• .75 oz of Lime Juice (Fresh if you can)
• .5 oz of Simple Syrup
• .25 oz Triple Sec
• 1.5 oz of Silver Tequila – Milagro is an affordable brand that is good for Margs

A Margarita is what is called a “Dump Cocktail” – so that means you put all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add ice.  Shake hard – because we always shake citrus!

Take a rocks glass and rim with salt – you can read more about Margarita Rimming Salts here - or better yet - buy some Hail M Rimming Salts here!

Give your drink another shake and “Dump” into the cocktail glass!  Garnish with a lime wheel – not a wedge and Cheers!

Margarita Tips and Tricks:

1. FRESH LIME - Use fresh lime if you can – you get about ½ - ¾ of oz of lime juice per lime
2. BOTTLED LIME - If you use bottled juice – make a sample cocktail and taste. If it is too sweet, add a little lemon juice or a little less Simple Syrup.   If it is too sour, then you can as little more of the Simple Syrup.
3. TEQUILA – Use Silver, so that it is a little more neutral. Get good Tequila – but don’t go crazy – you are mixing not sipping.  Check and make sure it does not have a lot of additives in the tequila or that it is a “Mixto”.  It should be Blue Webber Agave.
4. ORANGE LIQUOR – You can use any Orange flavored liquor, Triple Sec, Cointreau, Dry Curacao……
5. SALT – Prep your glassware before you mix. Rub a lime wedge over half of your rim and dunk in salt.  This gives people the option to control how they add salt to their cocktail sipping.
6. GLASSWARE – Don’t go crazy with huge Margarita Glasses. All that happens is that your ice melts, your drink gets watery and then warm and you lose all of the delicious flavors in your cocktail.  You can serve in a 12 oz Rocks Glass (filled with Ice) or Straight Up on a Martini, Coupe or Nic and Nora glass.  Just rim with Salt as described above and strain cold into your glass.
7. GARNISH – Citrus Garnish should always be a wheel, but can be a lime or orange or blood orange. If you serve a wedge people will squeeze it and it will throw the balance of your drink off.
8. MODIFIERS – Switch it up! Infuse your Tequila with a Hail M Tequila Delights Infusion.  Make a flavored Simple Syrup or add an ounce of your favorite fruit juice.

OK now you have the basic recipe.  Stay tuned for the next Blog Post and two more Margarita Recipes. 

¡Salud!