Margarita
Tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime with a half salt rim. Sharp, clean and balanced.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Coupe
- Strength
- 2.9 UK units
How to make a Margarita
- Salt half the rim. Run a lime wedge around half of the rim of a chilled coupe, then press that half into flaky salt. Leave the other half bare.
- Add the ingredients. Pour the tequila, Cointreau and lime juice into a shaker and fill it two-thirds with ice.
- Shake until cold. Shake hard for about 12 seconds, until the shaker is very cold and frosted on the outside.
- Strain and garnish. Strain into the glass, taking care not to wet the salt. Add a lime wheel on the rim and serve.
- Glass
- CoupeNo coupe? A short rocks glass over ice.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- A half salt rim and a lime wheelOr: A lime wedge on the side of the glass.
What you need to make a Margarita
Kit
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Bottles we'd use
- A 100% agave blanco tequilaOlmeca Altos Plata or Espolon Blanco give you a clean, peppery base.Find it on Amazon
- CointreauA dry, clean orange flavour. A cheaper triple sec works but is sweeter.Find it on Amazon
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The Margarita story
The origin of the Margarita is not settled. Several people claim it, including Carlos "Danny" Herrera in Baja in 1938 and Margarita Sames in Acapulco in 1948, and none of the stories can be proven. What is clearer is that it looks like a tequila version of the Daisy, an older family of drinks made with spirit, citrus and liqueur, and margarita is the Spanish word for daisy.
The classic ratio is two parts tequila to one part orange liqueur and one part lime. Salt only half the rim, so you can choose a sip with salt or without. Fresh lime is non-negotiable, and a good blanco tequila makes the drink.
Margarita: your questions answered
What is in a Margarita?
A Margarita is made with 50 ml tequila blanco, 25 ml Cointreau and 25 ml fresh lime juice. Garnish: a half salt rim and a lime wheel.
Is a Margarita shaken or stirred?
A Margarita is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps mix the juice in properly, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is a Margarita?
Made to this recipe, a Margarita contains about 2.9 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Margarita in?
Serve a Margarita in a coupe. No coupe? A short rocks glass over ice.
