Ambleside Margarita Recipe

Juice and combine

Roll limes and lemons on the counter to loosen juices. Cut and juice enough limes to yield 1.5 cups fresh juice and juice lemons to yield 0.25 cup. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup to remove pulp and seeds.

Make simple syrup (if not pre-made)

Combine equal parts sugar and water (0.75 cup each for this recipe if making fresh; note the ingredient list shows 0.75 cup syrup already). Heat gently in a small saucepan just until sugar dissolves, stirring, then cool to room temperature. Chill briefly if needed.

Mix base

In a pitcher, combine the strained fresh lime juice, lemon juice, 0.75 cup simple syrup, 0.5 cup orange liqueur, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Whisk or stir until salt dissolves. Taste and adjust: if too tart, add up to 2 tablespoons more simple syrup; if too sweet, add a splash more lime.

Prepare glasses

Pour the coarse or smoked salt onto a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each rocks or coupe glass, then dip the rim into the salt to coat. Fill each glass with a few ice cubes and set aside.

Shake individual cocktails

For each cocktail (makes about 2-2.5 oz spirit per serving), combine in a shaker: 3 oz (6 tablespoons) reposado tequila, 1 oz of the Margarita Mix (adjust weight so ratio is roughly 3:1 tequila to mix), and 3 dashes of bitters. Add a generous scoop of ice (about 1 cup crushed or cubed), cap the shaker and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until well chilled.

Strain and garnish

Double-strain the shaken cocktail into the prepared salted glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the rim. Repeat for remaining servings.

Batch option

To batch 8 servings: In a pitcher, combine 1.5 cups reposado tequila, 0.5 cup orange liqueur, all Margarita Mix prepared above (about 2.5 cups total including juices and syrup), and 6 dashes of bitters. Stir with ice to chill, then pour into salted glasses over fresh ice. Adjust bitters and sweetness to taste.