(Editor’s note: We’re republishing this piece today, Feb 22, 2019, to commemorate National Margarita Day this year.)
Tequila. Lime juice. Cointreau. Add a dash of salt, if desired. The ingredients may be few, but there’s a reason the Margarita has been a popular cocktail since its inception in the late 1930s. Delicious and refreshing in its simplicity, it’s also a beverage that lends itself well to experimentation, variation, and additions. The chameleon of cocktails, the margarita is worth celebrating, and we can think of no other drink that makes humpday more palatable. (It makes tequila go down pretty easy too). Happy National Margarita Day — raise one of the glasses below!
Noble Rita — Casa Noble Tequila
Give Casa Noble’s signature margarita a sip. Made with the crystal tequila which garnered the San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold Medal in 2011, the Noble Rita is a simple cocktail that allows the spirit to take center stage. Three ingredients make preparation a snap, leaving you more time to celebrate with friends.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Casa Noble Crystal Tequila
- 1 oz agave nectar
- 1 oz lime juice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Directions:
Place ingredients, except lime wheel, into shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into glass (salt rim optional). Garnish with lime wheel.
Spicy Buck — Casa Noble Tequila
If you’re looking for something a little different, buck the classic margarita trend and opt for a Spicy Buck. This unusual margarita is a riff on the traditional “buck” family of cocktails, encompassing any beverage that combines a base spirit with ginger beer or ale and citrus. Add a bit of heat, and you’ve got a cocktail with quite a kick.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Casa Noble Reposado Tequila
- 2 thin slices jalapeño
- 1 Tbsp sliced ginger
- 0.75 oz simple syrup
- Ginger ale or ginger beer
- Dash Peychauds bitters
- Lime wheel
Directions:
Muddle jalapeño, ginger, lemon, and simple syrup in a shaker; add ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into glass over ice, top with ginger ale or ginger beer; add bitters. Garnish with lime wheel.
Blood Arroyo — Sombra Mezcal
Sombra Mezcal offers this riff on the classic margarita, featuring their San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016 Double-gold winner. Rich and smoky, the spirit plays nice with citrus and a homemade herbal syrup. Add a salted rim and let those flavors get to work.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Sombra Mezcal
- 1 oz. grapefruit juice
- .5 oz. lime juice
- .5 oz. rosemary simple syrup
- Salt, if desired
Directions:
Combine Sombra, grapefruit juice, lime juice and rosemary syrup in a shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Salt the rim of a rocks glass. Strain cocktail over ice in rocks glass. Garnish with grapefruit wedge and rosemary sprig.
Directions for rosemary simple syrup:
Combine equal parts sugar and water in a sauce pan. Add two sprigs of rosemary and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Allow to chill.
Strawberry Kiwi Margarita — Blue Nectar Tequila
Strawberry Kiwi — everyone’s favorite childhood flavor all grown up and ready to party! Here it’s getting down with Blue Nectar Tequila and strawberry liqueur. Make one for yourself or hoof it on down to Rocco’s Tacos in Florida or New York, where the bartenders will be more than happy to accommodate your cocktail needs.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Blue Nectar Silver
- 1 oz. lime
- 3/4 oz. agave
- 1/4 oz. strawberry liqueur of your choice
- 2 muddled strawberries
- 1/2 kiwi, peeled and muddled
Directions:
Muddle kiwi and strawberry together and combine all ingredients. Shake and strain, garnish with a strawberry and kiwi slice.
Blue-cumber Lime Margarita by Jeremy Seaver of Tio’s Mexican Cafe, Ann Arbor, MI — Blue Nectar Tequila
So maybe the week’s only half over. Maybe you’ve got a ton of stuff on your to-do list, but it’s National Margarita Day; it comes but once a year. Feeling frazzled? The list can wait while you take a moment for midweek pampering. Forget the cucumber slices to the eyes and apply them directly to your cocktail, or head to Tio’s Mexican Cafe, where they’ll do the work for you, whipping up this refreshing beverage.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Blue Nectar Silver
- 1 inch of cucumber
- .75 oz. Cointreau
- 1.5 oz. lime juice
- 1.5 oz. lime simple syrup
Directions:
Muddle cucumber with Blue Nectar Tequila. Add remaining ingredients and shake over ice. Strain into rocks glass. Garnish with cucumber slice.
Directions for lime simple syrup:
Combine 2 cups of water, 1.5 cups of sugar, and zest of 1 lime into a saucepan. Simmer until sugar dissolves completely. Allow to chill.
Cardamom Cadillac Margarita — Puesto
We love a good spice-infusion in a cocktail, and the cardamom in Puesto’s cadillac margarita is a stroke of genius. The spicy, citrusy, herbal notes pair brilliantly with fresh lime juice and the bite of tequila. The inclusion of Cardamaro liqueur, a wine-based aperitif infused with cardoon and blessed thistle, really puts this drink in next-level territory.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Casa Noble Crystal
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz cardamom-infused agave nectar
- .75 oz of Cardamaro
Directions:
Rim an old fashioned glass with cardamom kosher salt. Combine first three ingredients with a handful of cracked ice in a Boston shaker. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds until tin gets frosty. Add fresh ice to the cardamom-rimmed glass. Strain the contents of the shaker into the salt-rimmed glass over the fresh ice. Float .75 oz of Cardamaro over the top of the cocktail. Garnish with sliced lime and whole cardamom pod.
Chavito 2 Margarita — by Jeremy Allen for MiniBar
A symphony in citrus, the Chavito 2 combines three different tart fruits and sets them off nicely with a cinnamon-sugar rim. Enjoy in the comfort of your own place, or stop by MiniBar for an equally comforting experience, where craft cocktails and a rich, retro style invite you to sink into relaxation and make yourself at home. Cheers!
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Reposado Tequila
- 0.5 oz fresh lemon
- 0.5 oz fresh lime
- 0.25 oz fresh orange juice
- 0.7 oz simple syrup
Directions:
Shake and then strain into rocks glass over fresh ice, with a cinnamon-sugar rim. Lemon to garnish.
Margarita Veneziana — by Sean Fiori for Buddy V’s Ristorante
An Italian-inspired margarita? Las Vegas’ Buddy V’s wouldn’t have it any other way. Amaretto, Patron, and Amarena cherry syrup work their magic together in this inspired adaptation of the classic; now that’s amore!
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Patron Reposado
- 1 oz Amaretto Veneziana
- .75 oz Amarena cherry syrup
- 1 oz sweet & sour
- .5 oz orange juice
Directions:
Rim glass with black salt. Stir all ingredients & pour into glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and an Amarena cherry.
DW Margarita — DW Bistro
If there was ever a contender for “most refreshing beverage” that could hold its own against the margarita, it’s a good old-fashioned Arnold Palmer. The Arnold Palmer’s one failing? No tequila. Until now. We’re going to take a wild stab and guess that you haven’t got blueberry caviar at home, but we sure won’t blink at a slice of lime for the garnish. Stop by DW Bistro next time you’re in Vegas and give the cocktail, complete with original garnish, a try!
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Cimmaron Tequila Silver
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- .5 oz lime juice
- .5 oz agave nectar
- 5 to 6 blueberries
- 2 oz iced tea
- 1 oz lemonade
- Garnish: Lime when and 5 blueberry caviar
Directions:
In a mixing glass, add the blueberries, agave and lime juice, then muddle. Add the tequila, triple sec, iced tea and lemonade. Add ice and shake. Strain over ice in a V-collins glass. Garnish with lime wheel and blueberry caviar.
Tamarind Margarita — XOC Tequila Grill
The sweet-tart flavor of the tamarind meshes perfectly with tequila, lime, and a little hint of chili. This is one of our favorite flavor-riffs, and for good reason. It’s just exotic enough to pique your curiosity, but not so much as to put off your margarita purists. Enjoy blended or on the rocks.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Tequila Blanco
- .75 oz Triple Sec
- 2 oz tamarind syrup
- 1 lime
- chili salt
- orange wheel
Directions:
Combine Tequila Blanco, Triple Sec, tamarind syrup and the juice from one lime into a shaker and shake. Using the leftover lime, lightly trace it around a margarita glass to wet it slightly, then, dip into chili salt. Add ice to glass and pour into glass. Garnish with an orange wheel.
Alternatively, combine Tequila Blanco, Triple Sec, tamarind syrup, the juice from one lime and ice into a blender and blend until smooth. Continue with the same steps as above.
Cazadores Highland Margarita — by Manny Hinojosa for Tequila Cazadores
Mixologist Manny Hinojosa brings together fresh juices, St. Germain, and Tequila Cazadores Reposado with its notes of vanilla, citrus, and tropical fruits for a refreshing update on the favored classic. This might just become your new go-to margarita recipe. This February 22nd, there’s no better time to mix it up.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Tequila Cazadores Reposado
- .5 oz. St-Germain
- .5 oz. agave syrup
- 3 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
- .5 oz. fresh lime juice
- Pinch of salt
Directions:
In a mixing glass combine all the ingredients with ice, shake and serve over the rocks. Salt optional.
Hibiscus Ginger Margarita — by Manny Hinojosa for Tequila Cazadores
Give your margarita a taste of the tropics with sweet-tart, lemon-berry hibiscus and the biting zing of ginger. Here’s a cocktail that calls to mind warm sandy beaches, swaying palms, and blooming exotic flowers. If there was ever a time we needed to convey ourselves to a sunny paradise through the magic of mixology, it’s definitely during the month of February. Let hibiscus and tequila whisk you away to warmer climes.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Tequila Cazadores Reposado
- .75 oz. Perfect Puree Hibiscus
- .75 oz. Perfect Puree Ginger Sour
- .75 oz. fresh lime juice
- 2 dashes of Fee Brothers grapefruit bitters
- Top with splash of Topochico mineral water
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker combine all the ingredients with ice except Topochico, shake and serve over the rocks. Garnish with lime peel and dash of cinnamon powder.
Pumpkin Margarita — by Manny Hinojosa for Tequila Cazadores
Ok, so yes, we may already be looking forward to spring, but we’re not so far removed from winter that we can’t still enjoy its comforts and flavors. Pumpkin makes a comeback in this surprising twist, which sees pumpkin spice liqueur and citrus fruits mingling with tequila. Enjoy now, and pulls this recipe back out once Pumpkin Spice season falls upon us much later this year.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Tequila Cazadores Reposado
- 1 oz. Bols Pumpkin Spice liqueur
- 2 oz. orange juice
- .5 oz. lemon juice
- Dash of cinnamon powder
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker combine all the ingredients with ice, shake and serve over the rocks. Cinnamon sugar rim glass and orange peel for garnish.
Rio Verde Margarita — by Johnny Swet for The Skylark
Fire and ice come together in Johnny Swet’s Rio Verde Margarita for The Skylark. Chili liqueur meets ice cold tequila and lime to create refreshing cocktail that brings on the heat. The grilled tomatillo is the cherry on top.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Milagro Reposado Tequila
- .5 oz. agave
- 1 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
- .75 oz. lime juice
- Garnish: spiked grilled tomatillo and cilantro sprig
Directions:
Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a glass rimmed with tortilla salt.
Kelly Kapowski — by Morgan Zuch for Datz
Meet the Kelly Kapowski. She’s a beauty, isn’t she? The winner of ‘Tampa Bay’s Best Margarita’ at the city’s annual Margarita Wars, she’s now yours to take home.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. silver tequila
- .5 oz. prickly pear syrup
- .5 oz lime juice
- .75 oz. lime juice
- 4 drops orange blossom water
- Tidal Boar ginger beer
- Orchid, for garnish
Directions:
Combine prickly pear syrup, lime juice, orange blossom water and silver tequila and shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain combined ingredients into a rocks glass. Top with Tidal Boar ginger beer. Garnish with an edible orchid.
