Margarita
Tequila, lime, orange liqueur — a Sour built on agave rather than cane.
- Double strained up or over fresh ice
- Hard shake 10s
- Tequila + Cointreau + lime + agavein shaker
- Half-salt rimmoisten with lime, dip in flaky salt
How to make it
- Rim half of a chilled coupe with lime juice and flaky salt.
- Combine tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and agave in a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 10 seconds and double strain into the glass (or over fresh ice in a rocks glass).
- Garnish with a lime wheel on the un-salted side.
The history
The Margarita's origin is genuinely disputed — a half-dozen bartenders and hostesses in 1930s–40s Mexico and southern California each have plausible claims. What is not disputed is that by the late 1940s the drink was standard in border bar culture and by the 1950s it was in Esquire.
Structurally the Margarita is a Sidecar with tequila in place of brandy — the same 2:1:1 spirit-liqueur-citrus template used across the Sidecar, Kamikaze, and Cosmopolitan. The salt rim is unique to the Margarita and is a real component of the drink, not a decoration: it moderates the bitterness of the lime pith and the sharpness of the tequila.
The frozen slushie Margarita of the American chain restaurant is a 1970s invention (Mariano Martinez's frozen machine, 1971, Dallas). The classical Margarita is small, tart, and served in a coupe or over a single large cube.
Common mistakes
- Sweet-and-sour mix
Bottled sour mix is not a substitute for fresh lime. If you would not squeeze it, do not pour it.
- Mixto tequila
Tequila labeled just 'tequila' (not '100% agave') is up to 49% neutral spirit. It makes a hot, thin drink. Read the label; insist on 100% agave.
- Salting the whole rim
Salt half the rim so the drinker can choose whether to take salt on each sip. A full salt rim overwhelms the drink.
Variations
- Tommy's Margarita
No triple sec — agave syrup only. Tequila, lime, agave. From Tommy's in San Francisco, 1990s. Cleaner, more agave-forward.
- Mezcal Margarita
Replace half or all of the tequila with mezcal. Smokier, drier.
- Spicy Margarita
Muddle 2–3 slices of fresh jalapeño in the shaker before adding ice.
Frequently asked
- Cointreau or triple sec?
- Cointreau is a specific triple sec, drier and cleaner than the sweet bottled generics. It is worth the price.
- Blanco, reposado, or añejo?
- Blanco for the classical Margarita — it lets the lime and Cointreau read clearly. Reposado adds oak notes; añejo overwhelms the citrus.
- Is agave syrup necessary?
- Not always. If the Cointreau is fresh and the lime is not too tart, skip it. Add 5 ml if the drink lands too dry.
- Frozen or on the rocks?
- On the rocks over a single large cube is the modern bar default. Frozen is a different, sweeter, more Americanized drink.