Every bartender needs a signature cocktail. It's the one drink that they are known for having tried and tried to perfect, but while they think that they have never reached perfection, the recipients of the drink are more than pleased. That drink for me is the Margarita. Ever since I turned 21, I have fallen in love with Margaritas. The road has been bumpy. I have given out a few awful drinks trying to get the right balance (sorry Aunt Deanna,) but the journey has been fun, and being able to try out so many different combinations has been eye-opening. Hopefully I can help other people make fantastic Margaritas as well, because Cinco de Mayo is practically upon us and we could all use a delicious drink.
Tequila
Let's start with what many people consider the most important part of the Margarita, Tequila. I'm not sure that I entirely agree with that notion, but it is definitely important, I can see that. When picking a good tequila, there are two important things to watch for, quality and age. You can tell the quality of a tequila when you look at a bottle and it has 100% pure agave printed somewhere on the bottle. Many cheaper tequilas will say "Made with Blue Agave", but if it doesn't have the 100%, it generally means that they used a filler consisting of grain alcohol. Brands like Jose Cuervo and Durango are notorious for doing this, but you can find a good deal on tequila without breaking the bank. Brands like El Jimador and Sauza Blue are still under $20 a bottle and are 100% agave. The other thing to keep in mind is the age of the tequila. I talked about this in my Bartending at Home Part 2 post, but to recap, I like Reposado tequila because you get the good tequila flavor of a Silver, but without the harshness. If you wanna save money on a decent bottle, pick up El Jimador Reposado, otherwise I usually use Espolon Reposado for my margaritas, which is also very reasonably priced.
Orange Liqueur
The next part of a good Margarita is some orange liqueur. Most fancy recipes will call for Cointreau or Grand Marnier, but I don't want to spend almost $40 on either of those bottles. For the longest time, I took the really cheap route and just used standard Triple Sec, which I don't necessarily recommend either. After going to a restaurant and having a margarita using Grand Marnier, I realized there must be a good middle ground, because that stuff is so good in margaritas! I found this really good orange liqueur called O3 by Dekuyper, which is essentially a higher end Triple Sec. Its not as sweet as regular Triple Sec, and it lends a better orange flavor, which just amplifies the citrusy flavor of the drink.
Mix or Real Ingredients
I would be lying if I told you that I prefer a margarita mix over fresh squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. To be fair, there is one really good margarita mix made by Tres Agaves, that has all natural ingredients and is pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to homemade stuff. I use about 1 1/2 big limes (about 2.5 oz worth of juice) and 1 oz of simple syrup to make my margaritas. Some recipes call for agave nectar, and I don't honestly know if it is better or not. I can make simple syrup at home for pennies on the dollar, so I don't really feel the need to spend the money on the stuff.
Blended or On the Rocks
I'm also quite biased in this category as well. When I started making margaritas, I got a fancy blender to make some really fancy drinks. I had a few blended margaritas, and then I got lazy and made one on the rocks. I haven't looked back since. Having a blended margarita on a really hot day is nice, but I think that drinking the really small chunks of ice ends up making the drink less flavorful. Why would I drink little pieces of ice when I can drink delicious tequila and lime juice.
Salt
When I first started writing this blog, I was going to say that salt was a waste of your time, but in the interest of science, I tried it. This may be the best margarita I have had. The salt plays very well off of the lime tartness and just adds a lot more complexity than I thought. I would recommend using coarse sea salt because not too much ends up sticking to your glass so you get the perfect amount of salt. Whatever you do, do not use standard table salt. You get way too much on the glass, resulting in an overly salted drink, and the reason why I stayed away from salt for so long. Also, the garnish is only necessary if you have salt. You should use your juice from a lime wedge to get the salt to stick, but if you're not salting the rim, you don't need it. If you use my recipe, the last thing you need is more lime juice from squeezing the juice in the drink.
Cocktail of the Month
Dean's Perfect Margarita
1 1/2 oz tequila reposado (Espolon)
1/2 oz orange liqueur (O3)
2 1/2 oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
Coarse sea salt for rim
Lime wedge for garnish
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake. On a second pint glass, rub lime wedge on the rim and then dip the rim in a plate with salt. Add fresh ice, and strain the drink into the second glass. Garnish with lime wedge.
Finally, the end product. When it is all said and done, you get a drink that is not overly sweet from using margarita mix. This is slightly tart with lots of lime flavor and honestly, one of the most refreshing things you can drink this summer. Don't be afraid to spend a little bit of extra time on this, because the end product is so worth it.
Well, as I am wrapping up this blog, its currently 3 AM on Cinco de Mayo, so I'm gonna go to bed and get ready to make some more margaritas tomorrow. Maybe I'll even make some taco meat and queso and really celebrate this fun holiday.
P.S. Please drink responsibly, please.
P.P.S. Also don't drink and drive.
P.P.P.S. All views and opinions are mine and don't represent those of my employer. All items described in this blog are subject to availability and price change.
P.P.P.P.S. I took a survey of a few people who have drank my margaritas. Of the two people surveyed, myself and my mom said that I make the best margaritas that they have ever drank. Amazing! That's a 100% success rate!
About the Author
My name is Dean Lipinski and I am a supervisor at Happy Harry's Bottle Shop at the 45th Street South location. I have an almost three year tenure, and bartend on the side during the summer at one of the local golf courses. With only three years experience, I'm still learning a lot, but I'm starting to feel more comfortable teaching as well. During my free time, I enjoy games of all sorts, card, board, and video games, I am a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, and I love the outdoors and fishing and hunting. Oh and I love long walks on the beach... of the Red River... by myself...
TequilaLet's start with what many people consider the most important part of the Margarita, Tequila. I'm not sure that I entirely agree with that notion, but it is definitely important, I can see that. When picking a good tequila, there are two important things to watch for, quality and age. You can tell the quality of a tequila when you look at a bottle and it has 100% pure agave printed somewhere on the bottle. Many cheaper tequilas will say "Made with Blue Agave", but if it doesn't have the 100%, it generally means that they used a filler consisting of grain alcohol. Brands like Jose Cuervo and Durango are notorious for doing this, but you can find a good deal on tequila without breaking the bank. Brands like El Jimador and Sauza Blue are still under $20 a bottle and are 100% agave. The other thing to keep in mind is the age of the tequila. I talked about this in my Bartending at Home Part 2 post, but to recap, I like Reposado tequila because you get the good tequila flavor of a Silver, but without the harshness. If you wanna save money on a decent bottle, pick up El Jimador Reposado, otherwise I usually use Espolon Reposado for my margaritas, which is also very reasonably priced.
Orange Liqueur
The next part of a good Margarita is some orange liqueur. Most fancy recipes will call for Cointreau or Grand Marnier, but I don't want to spend almost $40 on either of those bottles. For the longest time, I took the really cheap route and just used standard Triple Sec, which I don't necessarily recommend either. After going to a restaurant and having a margarita using Grand Marnier, I realized there must be a good middle ground, because that stuff is so good in margaritas! I found this really good orange liqueur called O3 by Dekuyper, which is essentially a higher end Triple Sec. Its not as sweet as regular Triple Sec, and it lends a better orange flavor, which just amplifies the citrusy flavor of the drink.
Mix or Real IngredientsI would be lying if I told you that I prefer a margarita mix over fresh squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. To be fair, there is one really good margarita mix made by Tres Agaves, that has all natural ingredients and is pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to homemade stuff. I use about 1 1/2 big limes (about 2.5 oz worth of juice) and 1 oz of simple syrup to make my margaritas. Some recipes call for agave nectar, and I don't honestly know if it is better or not. I can make simple syrup at home for pennies on the dollar, so I don't really feel the need to spend the money on the stuff.
Blended or On the RocksI'm also quite biased in this category as well. When I started making margaritas, I got a fancy blender to make some really fancy drinks. I had a few blended margaritas, and then I got lazy and made one on the rocks. I haven't looked back since. Having a blended margarita on a really hot day is nice, but I think that drinking the really small chunks of ice ends up making the drink less flavorful. Why would I drink little pieces of ice when I can drink delicious tequila and lime juice.
SaltWhen I first started writing this blog, I was going to say that salt was a waste of your time, but in the interest of science, I tried it. This may be the best margarita I have had. The salt plays very well off of the lime tartness and just adds a lot more complexity than I thought. I would recommend using coarse sea salt because not too much ends up sticking to your glass so you get the perfect amount of salt. Whatever you do, do not use standard table salt. You get way too much on the glass, resulting in an overly salted drink, and the reason why I stayed away from salt for so long. Also, the garnish is only necessary if you have salt. You should use your juice from a lime wedge to get the salt to stick, but if you're not salting the rim, you don't need it. If you use my recipe, the last thing you need is more lime juice from squeezing the juice in the drink.
Dean's Perfect Margarita
1 1/2 oz tequila reposado (Espolon)
1/2 oz orange liqueur (O3)
2 1/2 oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
Coarse sea salt for rim
Lime wedge for garnish
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake. On a second pint glass, rub lime wedge on the rim and then dip the rim in a plate with salt. Add fresh ice, and strain the drink into the second glass. Garnish with lime wedge.
Finally, the end product. When it is all said and done, you get a drink that is not overly sweet from using margarita mix. This is slightly tart with lots of lime flavor and honestly, one of the most refreshing things you can drink this summer. Don't be afraid to spend a little bit of extra time on this, because the end product is so worth it.
Well, as I am wrapping up this blog, its currently 3 AM on Cinco de Mayo, so I'm gonna go to bed and get ready to make some more margaritas tomorrow. Maybe I'll even make some taco meat and queso and really celebrate this fun holiday.
P.S. Please drink responsibly, please.
P.P.S. Also don't drink and drive.
P.P.P.S. All views and opinions are mine and don't represent those of my employer. All items described in this blog are subject to availability and price change.
P.P.P.P.S. I took a survey of a few people who have drank my margaritas. Of the two people surveyed, myself and my mom said that I make the best margaritas that they have ever drank. Amazing! That's a 100% success rate!
About the Author
My name is Dean Lipinski and I am a supervisor at Happy Harry's Bottle Shop at the 45th Street South location. I have an almost three year tenure, and bartend on the side during the summer at one of the local golf courses. With only three years experience, I'm still learning a lot, but I'm starting to feel more comfortable teaching as well. During my free time, I enjoy games of all sorts, card, board, and video games, I am a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, and I love the outdoors and fishing and hunting. Oh and I love long walks on the beach... of the Red River... by myself...
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