The Classic Margarita is one of the most popular cocktails in the world, and it's one of the easiest drinks to make at home. Skip the bottled margarita mix and grab some limes!
Components of a Margarita
Tequila
Tequila is a type of alcohol that originated in Mexico, and is made from the agave plant. There are several types of tequila, but for this drink, it's traditional to use blanco tequila. Blanco means that it is not aged, and its fresh flavors work the best with the lime.
Triple Sec
Triple Sec is an orange flavored liqueur that adds alcohol, flavor and sweetness to the margarita. I used Cointreau, which is a triple sec style of orange liqueur. For a milder version, you can try orange curaçao liqueur.
Lime Juice
If you can find any Key Limes, they are really the best to use in a margarita. They're the most common limes in Mexico, and they have a deep acidity and lime flavor that is unmatched. In the U.S., the most common type of lime is called the Persian lime, which I've used here.
Sweetener
For added sweetness, I've used simple syrup. You could choose to add additional triple sec instead, or use agave nectar, which goes well with the tequila flavor.
Mixing It Up
It's so easy to play around with the classic margarita recipe and make it your own! Try adding different types of fresh fruit puree, like berries or mango. You can make it a frozen drink by blitzing everything in a blender with lots of ice. Or, try substituting some (or all) of the tequila for its smokier counterpart, mezcal.
How to Make a Classic Margarita
It's pretty easy to make a margarita at home from scratch. The first step is to rim your glass with salt. Just take a lime wedge and rub it all around the rim of the glass, and dip the glass into a small plate of salt that you've prepared. The salt will stick only to the wet parts of the glass.
To mix the cocktail, all you need to do is squeeze ¾ oz of fresh lime juice, which you can get from one Persian lime or around two Key limes. Add that to a cocktail shaker along with 2 ounces of tequila, ½ oz of Cointreau or other orange liqueur, ½ oz simple syrup and some ice. Shake it up to dilute the mixture.
Add a large piece of ice to the glass you rimmed with salt. Then, strain the cocktail into the glass.
Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!
Other Cocktails You Might Like
- Another lime-centric classic, the Last Word is simple and delicious
- This Dragonfruit Mojito is a fruity take on the classic rum, mint and lime drink
- Give mezcal a try in this Mezcal Chocolate Cherry cocktail
Did You Make This Recipe?
I would love to know if you tried this Classic Margarita recipe! Did you find any Key limes to try it with? If you tried it, I would appreciate it so much if you could leave me a star rating or a review in the comments below!
Classic Margarita
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker and strainer
- Old Fashioned cocktail glass
- Citrus juicer
Ingredients
- 1-2 lime wedge for salt rim and garnish
- coarse salt
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- ½ oz triple sec - I used Cointreau
- ¾ oz freshly squeezed lime juice - from approx 1 Persian lime or 2 Key limes
- ½ oz simple syrup
Instructions
- Use a lime wedge to wet the rim of the cocktail glass. Dip the rim of the glass into the coarse salt and set aside.
- Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and simple syrup to the cocktail shaker along with ice.
- Shake to dilute, about 15-20 times.
- Add fresh ice to the cocktail glass and strain the cocktail into the glass.
- Add a lime wedge to the glass and serve immediately.
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