Tequila and magartias

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JOhnH

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On a recent trip out West, including several South West states, I ordered quite a few margaritas. Some of them were fantastic. But some of them made my mouth pucker up, some were too sweet, most of them I couldn't detect the tequila. I rarely get hangovers, but some of these did a number on me the next morning.

Do you have a favorite Tequila and Margarita recipe? I have done some experimenting and found that I like a little orange juice while cutting back on the Cointreau to reduce sweetness. But I still can't get them right. I do prefer them on-the-rocks and with no salt.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Fix for the sweetness: use real lime/lime pulp and use less sweet sour mix.
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I should have mentioned, I have not been using any mixes. I have been using fresh squeezed lime, but I think that all limes are not equal, so I get mixed results.

When you say "real lime" do you mean real limes, or the brand name "real-lime" juice?
 
Remember the 3-2-1 recipe (Or 4-3-2 if you prefer). Stay away from Magarita "mixes". They are too sweet. If fresh squeezed lime is too bitter, substitue 3-Roses Lime in the bottle. Also, dipping the rim of your margarita glass in a saucer of 3-Roses lime, then in the bar salt will also add a hint of sweetness.

I always like the traditional recipe with Cuervo Gold for the tequila. And, in my younger days I liked to float another shot of tequila on the top of blended margaritas!
 
JOhnH said:
I should have mentioned, I have not been using any mixes. I have been using fresh squeezed lime, but I think that all limes are not equal, so I get mixed results.

When you say "real lime" do you mean real limes, or the brand name "real-lime" juice?
Click to expand...
Real limes as in the fruit, not the imitation liquid.
 
wilkersk said:
Remember the 3-2-1 recipe (Or 4-3-2 if you prefer). Stay away from Magarita "mixes". They are too sweet. If fresh squeezed lime is too bitter, substitue 3-Roses Lime in the bottle. Also, dipping the rim of your margarita glass in a saucer of 3-Roses lime, then in the bar salt will also add a hint of sweetness.

I always like the traditional recipe with Cuervo Gold for the tequila. And, in my younger days I liked to float another shot of tequila on the top of blended margaritas!
Click to expand...
Agreed. No reason to get too fancy on the tequila if you're mixing it with other stuff. Jose Silver is okay, too, if you don't like the tequila a bit smoother than gold.
 
The limes also make a huge difference. I prefer Key or Mexican limes over the big cheap honkers in the produce section. You'll have to squeeze a bunch of them, but it's worth it.

I'll use bottled Key lime juice in a pinch or hurry.


For me, more sugar = worse hangover. But if you're still drinking when the tequila runs out, it's going to hurt no matter how you made them.
 
One of the best lessons I took away from Cal state...
Ice full blender, 6 oz minute maid limeaid, tequila quantity of preference, sweet and sour mix for consistently, blend.
 
FORANE said:
One of the best lessons I took away from Cal state...
Ice full blender, 6 oz minute maid limeaid, tequila quantity of preference, sweet and sour mix for consistently, blend.
Click to expand...

Mine is close. Pour a of limeaid into a blender. Fill the limeaid can 3/4 full with tequila and top off can with triple sec, pour that into the blender. Top off with ice and blend.
 
Plano Pilot said:
Mine is close. Pour a of limeaid into a blender. Fill the limeaid can 3/4 full with tequila and top off can with triple sec, pour that into the blender. Top off with ice and blend.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much my recipe as well, perfected over many many college parties in Austin. :)
 
Ok, made a few really good margaritas tonight.

2 oz Tequila (1800 Reposado/ 100% blue agave). I don't remember how much it cost so it must not have been too much.
1 oz (actually a little less) Cointreau
0.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice. ( don't like them too tart).
splash of Orange Juice.

Shook it up in a martini shaker with ice and poured it, ice and all, into a glass.
Really good and no packaged mix.

My wife "suggested" I stop after number 3. ( I still had one more shot of Tequila).

Tomorrow it is back to Scotch.
 
kayoh190 said:
That's pretty much my recipe as well, perfected over many many college parties in Austin. :)
Click to expand...

Mine was handed down to me from my mother and used at several parties at the marina. We even had a Porn Star stop by and have a few, Rachel Starr. We had no idea who she was until after she departed and a friend asked what she was doing at our dock. We still him a hard time for recognizing her.
 
JOhnH said:
Ok, made a few really good margaritas tonight.

2 oz Tequila (1800 Reposado/ 100% blue agave). I don't remember how much it cost so it must not have been too much.
1 oz (actually a little less) Cointreau
0.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice. ( don't like them too tart).
splash of Orange Juice.

Shook it up in a martini shaker with ice and poured it, ice and all, into a glass.
Really good and no packaged mix.

My wife "suggested" I stop after number 3. ( I still had one more shot of Tequila).

Tomorrow it is back to Scotch.
Click to expand...

is this actually a margarita?
 
I buy premade margarita. Then add tequila. Well…. A lot.

My recipe is equal parts premade margarita (with tequila) and tequila
Then about 10% of something interesting.
A whiskey or whatever I have that’s interesting.

Not many ask for a third.
 
Plano Pilot said:
Mine was handed down to me from my mother and used at several parties at the marina. We even had a Porn Star stop by and have a few, Rachel Starr. We had no idea who she was until after she departed and a friend asked what she was doing at our dock. We still him a hard time for recognizing her.
Click to expand...

a hard time? Yeah…. I see what you did there
 
eman1200 said:
is this actually a margarita?
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Maybe not. And it was sweeter than what I usually drink. But it still had Tequila and lime.

I don't suppose you think that a margarita has to be frozen, do you?
 
Our favorite recipe is a lime, a lemon, an orange, about 1/3 cup tequila, about half that much triple sec, and a little sugar in the Vitamix. Fill to about 3/4 full with ice, and blend.

Always 100% agave tequila.
 
JOhnH said:
Maybe not. And it was sweeter than I usually drink. But it still had Tequila and lime.

I don't suppose you think that a margarita has to be frozen, do you?
Click to expand...

oh no, don't get me wrong, I'm not margaritaologist. I just thought a m'rita was a little more than tequila with a splash of lime juice.
 
JOhnH said:
Ok, made a few really good margaritas tonight.

2 oz Tequila (1800 Reposado/ 100% blue agave). I don't remember how much it cost so it must not have been too much.
1 oz (actually a little less) Cointreau
0.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice. ( don't like them too tart).
splash of Orange Juice.

Shook it up in a martini shaker with ice and poured it, ice and all, into a glass.
Really good and no packaged mix.

My wife "suggested" I stop after number 3. ( I still had one more shot of Tequila).

Tomorrow it is back to Scotch.
Click to expand...

Flip your Cointreau and like juice ratios, ditch the OJ. I prefer El Jimador Silver, but your choice of tequila is fine.
 
Interesting note: I was at a Mexican restaurant in the old Waikiki shopping plaza about 35 years ago. It was a slow night, so the "owner" came out and offered us his "special" margarita. He told us he was related to Danny Herrera (the inventor of the margarita) and his margarita was true to the original recipe handed down through his family. It was good. But, it really didn't taste any different than the 3-2-1 recipe I've been using since before I was old enough to (legally) drink.
 
I do it the quick way. Shot of Tequila, lick salt, bite lime. And it can be funner to

 
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A few tips on good margaritas (or... really, any cocktail):
  • The biggest improvement you can make is to take whatever mixer(s) you have and dump them down the drain. There's nothing in a mixer that you can't prep yourself cheaper, better tasting, lower calorie, and more healthy. Bonus points for actually being able to spell the ingredients (I swore off mixers about a decade ago when I looked at the ingredient list of a sweet and sour mix we had... it had to be around 20 ingredients, over half of which sounded like a something out of a chemical factory). For a margarita, it's only tequila, lime juice and cointreau (or other quality orange liquor), maybe a touch of agave syrup. Literally no reason for a mixer.
  • For the lime juice, using freshly-squeezed limes makes a huge difference over any lime juice that comes in a bottle. It's not that much work, and vastly improves the drink. If you are making a bunch of 'ritas for a party, you can batch juice limes and that juice will keep for about 24 hours before it starts to change flavor (generally becomes slightly more bitter over time).
  • The classic 3-2-1 sour recipe is the way to go (this applies for any sour, which is all a margarita is... it's essentially a Tequila Sour). If you need to adjust the sweetness, either add a touch more orange liquor, or if you tend to use something like Dry Curaçao like I do, you can add a wee bit of agave syrup for those that like their 'ritas a little sweet.
  • Always buy 100% agave tequila. An awful lot of hangovers are caused by junk fillers in liquor. Buy the 100% agave stuff and you are generally out of the price range where manufacturers are dumping who knows what into the bottle.
 
TCABM said:
Flip your Cointreau and like juice ratios, ditch the OJ. I prefer El Jimador Silver, but your choice of tequila is fine.
Click to expand...
I'll try that next time.
I'll also pick up some El Jimador Silver next time I'm at Total Wine.

But margaritas are just an occasional drink for me. Generally, I drink good scotch, neat, or maybe with just a drop of water.
 
eman1200 said:
oh no, don't get me wrong, I'm not margaritaologist. I just thought a m'rita was a little more than tequila with a splash of lime juice.
Click to expand...
It's not. That's what a Margarita is. It's very simple. Some tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice and a orange liqueur (Gran Marnier, Cointreau). No need (in my book, everyone can surely make what they like) for frozen Limeaid, etc.

Same as Daquiris. I like mine the classic way. 2 oz rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, a bit of sugar syrup (maybe 3/4 oz). Shake. Drink.

None of these drinks require a blender, strawberries, bananas, plastic tubs of "mix" or a frozen slushy machine. Keep it simple and you'll be surprised how good they are.
 
Or better yet, just drink the tequila straight. Fruit + sugar + alcohol = hangover. At least for me.
 
A relative that works in the restaurant industry recommended using Espolon tequila blanco. And she was right. It makes margaritas miles better than any other tequila I’ve tried.
 
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