The margarita
Two parts tequila, one lime, three-quarters sweet. The same drink as the daiquiri in a different hat.
At a Glance
Story
This is the whole secret of the sour family, two parts spirit to one part lime to three-quarters part sweet. Swap the tequila for white rum and you have a daiquiri, swap it for gin and you have a gimlet. A classic margarita uses orange liqueur in place of the syrup, but the syrup version, sometimes called a Tommy's, is cleaner and lets the tequila talk. Mezcal in place of some or all of it turns the whole thing smoky.
Ingredients
- 2 oz blanco tequilaor mezcal, for smoke
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- flaky salt for the rimoptional
- a lime wheelto garnish
Method
The drink that proves a cocktail is just a ratio you trust. Build it once and you can build half the bar.
- If you want a salted rim, rub a lime wedge round the edge of a chilled coupe or rocks glass and dip it in flaky salt.
- Shake the tequila, lime juice and simple syrup hard with ice for 15 seconds, until the tin frosts over.
- Strain over one big clear ice cube in the rocks glass, or straight up into the coupe. For a frozen one, blend it with a cup of crushed ice instead.
- Garnish with the lime wheel.
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