Did someone say “margarita”?!
Yes. We did.
You might be thinking that we’ve confused Bloody Margarets (aka Red Snapper) with margaritas. Nope! We’re letting you in on a little secret: Bloody Marys aren’t the only boozy beverage we’ve perfected.
We love Bloody Marys for brunch, but there’s just something about a marg on Taco Tuesday (or any day ending in “y”). Read on to make happy hour a little happier.
Back to basics
Whether you love it frozen or extra spicy, at its core, a margarita—Spanish for daisy—has three ingredients: tequila, lime juice, and triple sec. Let’s break ‘em down:
1: Tequila. Here’s a fun fact to pull out at your next cocktail party: Tequila is only tequila if it comes from the areas surrounding Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico. Otherwise, you’re drinking mezcal—the name for any liquor distilled from agave.
2: Lime juice. You gotta have lime in your margarita, and plenty of it. Fresh is best, but if you’re in a pinch, 100% bottled lime juice works. After all, a marg with bottled lime is better than no marg at all.
3: Triple sec. Known and beloved under the brand name Cointreau, triple sec is an orange-flavored liqueur that adds fruity, sweet, and bitter flavors to your margarita. It’s multi-dimensional and multi-level delicious.
Now that you’ve got your ingredients, let’s make some margs. Here’s our go-to for a basic (but never boring) margarita:
Ingredients
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce lime or 2 ounces Demitri’s Margarita Mix
½ ounce triple sec
Ice
Lime wheel and coarse salt for garnish
For a sweeter drink: agave nectar or simple syrup
Directions
1: Gently moisten the rim of your glass with the lime wedge. Dip into a bowl of salt (or level up with Demitri’s Margarita RimShot).
2: Mix tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and ice. Give it a really good shake in a cocktail shaker and add in your sweetener of choice until it’s perfect.
3: Fill your glass with ice, add the liquid mixture, and top with some lime.
4: Enjoy… obviously!
Tips for perfection
Practice makes perfect, and we’ve practiced a lot.
1: Go for a mid-level reposado tequila. There are four categories of tequilas (the ones made in Jalisco, remember?): blanco or plata (white or silver), añejo (aged), extra añejo, and reposado (rested). Reposados have more flavor than silver varieties, and they’re less sweet and less expensive compared to añejos. Reposados are aged for more than two months but less than a year, making them juuust right.
2: To quote Demitri himself, “When in doubt, add more tequila.” You have our permission to put that on a T-shirt.
3: Like it sweeter? Add agave nectar to complement the agave of the tequila or make a simple syrup—which is even simpler than you think. Just heat equal parts water and granulated sugar on medium until the sugar is fully dissolved.
4: Shake like you mean it. Seriously: You can skip arm day if you’re shaking your margaritas the right way. Aim for about 30 seconds.
Beyond the basics
We’ve covered the basics of a margarita, but sometimes you wanna be a little extra, right?
1: First and foremost: The frozen margarita. Add your ingredients to a blender with ice and blend, blend, blend until you’ve got a slushy. Happy hour al fresco is just a couple of months away…
2: Switch out the triple sec for a fruity soda or juice. We love a paloma, which uses grapefruit soda and is as refreshing as it sounds.
3: Spicy margaritas? Yes. Muddle a few jalapeno slices (without the seeds) to bring the heat.
4: Trial and error. Experiment with different tequilas, flavors, and proportions until you design your signature margarita. At the end of each round, you’ll have a margarita to sip on, so no one is leaving empty-handed.
5: Try out Demitri’s Margarita Mixes for amazing margaritas without the hassle. We’ve got a traditional mix and a 38-calorie version, plus a salt rimmer made with pineapple, pomegranate, lime, and a dash of chili pepper. It’s a fun, festive, and flavorful way to elevate your marg into something restaurant-worthy.
So, what have we learned?
Firstly: Tequila comes from Jalisco.
Secondly: Margaritas are easier to make than you might think.
Thirdly: You should be making margaritas, like, right now.
The next time you’re hosting taco night, show off your skills with a margarita bar. Get the basics, add some flavor options, whip out the blender, and wow your friends. Tacos + margs = happy guests every time. We assume our invite is on the way…
