Let me be clear, I’ve tried nearly every classic margarita recipe imaginable. From jalapenos to skinny mangoes to frozen mangoes, we’ve been shaking, stirring and blending them for years. I can confidently say that I’ve finally found the ultimate margarita on the rocks recipe. Because what they say is true. “Classic, you can’t go wrong”.
Recently, I found myself craving the simple, unmistakable combination of delicious tequila and fresh lime juice. Don’t get me wrong. Flavor variations are fun, but there’s something about the classic salty rim and fresh lime garnish that defines the best Margaritas on the Rocks recipes.
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The Margarita on the Rocks Recipe for Summer
Nothing special. A simple blend of tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, Cointreau, and our stock agave syrup. For this recipe, I prefer the stronger, smoother flavor of a high-quality orange liqueur, but a traditional triple sec will suffice in a pinch. No matter how many times I make this recipe, the first bite won’t make me say, “Wow, it’s really good.”
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Ingredient breakdown
tequila. Silver tequila, also known as blanco, platinum and white, is the purest form of tequila. It is a sake that you want to keep on hand to match various drinks.
lime juice. If you stick with the ingredients recommended in this recipe, it’s that fresh lime juice is essential. Feel free to mix it with other juices such as grapefruit or lemon for other margarita variations.
Agave. I choose agave as my sweetener to keep my margaritas from being too sweet. Agave nectar is obtained directly from the blue agave plant (it’s actually used to make tequila!). Any agave nectar will do, but I prefer fresh agave for the most natural taste.
Cointreau. Cointreau is a family of triple sec liqueurs produced in Saint-Barthelemy-d’Anjou, France. A higher quality orange flavored liqueur than traditional Triple Sec, it has smoothness and power that elevates the classic drink to the next level.
Tips for making the best margaritas
Chill the glass in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving.
Be sure to repeat. Must, Use freshly squeezed lime juice.
Shake longer than you think is necessary. I find that 30 seconds of vigorous shaking is enough to get an icy, foamy consistency.
After creating the salt rim, strain the ingredients into a glass.
Pro Tip: You can also add a few jalapeno slices to your shaker for a spicy kick. I don’t tell purists.
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offer suggestions
Agave vs. simple syrup. Adding a simple syrup to a cocktail makes it super sweet. If you don’t have agave, I recommend making a simple syrup yourself or using it in small amounts when making cocktails.
garnish with a lime wedge.Simply add a lime wedge to the side of the glass to make your margarita picture-perfect.
make it a batch recipe. You can easily increase the portion size by shaking several times and pouring the contents into a pitcher for easy serving.
Sprinkle coarse salt on the rim of the glass. Coarse salt looks better in a margarita glass, in my opinion. Slightly wet the rim of the glass with lime juice to help the salt stick to the drink.
Perfectly shaken with lime juice, tequila, agave and cointreau, this blend is the definition of a classic margarita at its best. You can drink it all year round.
2 oz silver tequila
2 oz fresh lime juice
1 ounce Agave
1/2 ounce Cointreau
Add ice to the cocktail shaker.
Add tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and agave nectar.
Shake well and pour into glasses.
This post was originally published on May 3, 2020 and has since been updated.
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