Margarita Recipe

Make quick margarita mix

In a small saucepan combine 0.25 cups water and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Warm gently over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat, stir in 0.5 tsp fresh lime zest if using, and let cool to room temperature. This yields a lightly sweetened syrup (simple syrup) used in the cocktail. If using pre-made margarita mix or prefer a drier margarita, skip this step and omit the optional simple syrup ingredient in the Margarita Base.

Combine liquids

In a cocktail shaker or blender add 2 oz gold tequila, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz orange liqueur, and 0.5 oz simple syrup (either the prepared mix above or store-bought/omitted per taste).

Add ice for blending or shaking

If making a frozen/chilled blended margarita, add 1.5 cups of ice to the blender. If making shaken-on-the-rocks, add 4-6 large ice cubes to the shaker instead and omit blender step.

Blend or shake

For a frozen margarita: secure blender lid and blend on high until smooth and slushy (about 20-30 seconds depending on blender). For a classic shaken margarita: shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds until the shaker is well chilled.

Prepare the glass rim

Run a lime wedge around the rim of a chilled margarita or coupe glass. Dip the rim into a small shallow plate of coarse salt to lightly coat the edge. Tap off excess.

Pour and garnish

For blended margarita: pour the slushy mixture into the prepared glass. For shaken: strain the chilled cocktail into the prepared glass over fresh ice if desired. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the rim. Serve immediately.

Adjust to taste

Taste a small sip and adjust sweetness or acidity for future pours: add an extra 0.25–0.5 oz simple syrup if too tart, or an extra 0.25 oz lime if too sweet. Record adjustments.