The Margarita first appeared on the American scene in 1953, when Esquire magazine introduced her by saying, “She’s from Mexico, Senores, and her name is the Margarita Cocktail—and she is lovely to look at, exciting and provocative.”

Since that saucy introduction, the margarita has taken America by storm. Twenty five years later, in 2008, the Margarita was the most popular cocktail in America, overtaking traditional favorites such as the Martini or Cuba Libre (rum & coke). Americans, on average, consumed 185,000 Margaritas per hour! They have a national Tequila Day (June 2nd) and a national Margarita day (Feb 22nd), and, on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th), more Margaritas are served in the bars of Atlanta and St. Louis than in Cancun or Cozumel.

But, there is one lamentable fact to all this popularity. Along the way, in her transition from seductive ingénue to commanding Grande dame, the margarita has lost a lot of her charm. She is no longer the simple girl of legend, composed of three basic ingredients but is now, more often than not, a frowsy, frothy, frozen concoction that can include anything from strawberries to lychees, chocolate to chiles and gets her sweetness from chemical additives.

It’s a shame really, because a well made margarita can be a real pleasure. It can refresh on a hot day, perk up the palate before a meal, and showcase the nuances of it’s main ingredient—Tequila. To make a classic margarita, there’s no need to worry about complicated recipes or techniques. It’s at a heart a simple drink, that relies on the right ingredients, blended in the correct ratio, to obtain it’s zing. A classic Margarita is a basically just a mix of something sour and something sweet added to a base spirit, in this case Tequila, which is then enhanced by a garnish of something salty. With so few ingredients, the quality and flavor of each component is vital to the finished concoction.

SOUR: Margaritas should get their subtle color and tingly acidity from limes—lime juice to be exact. Not powdered bar mix, not frozen limeade, not bottled syrup: they do not come close the bright citrus tang imparted by fresh squeezed lime juice.

SWEET: The classic margarita took her sweetness from orange liqueur (probably Cointreau), and that was all the sugar that the provocative little number needed. However, in the intervening 25 years more and more sugar has been added to the mix, weighing the cocktail down and overpowering it’s delicate balance. Once the excess sugar is gone the fruity flavor of the liqueur is once again revealed, so it is important to choose one, (Cointreau, Triple Sec or Grand Marnier) that you also enjoy on its own.

SPIRIT: If you use a cheap tequila, brewed from dubious ingredients, you will get a bad margarita, not to mention a world class hangover. Use a good tequila, made from 100% agave—it immediately elevates the drink to cocktail status—and the other ingredients will work to showcase the nuances of the Tequila. Blanco Tequilas, with their clean vegetal flavors make for a refreshing, spicier drink. Reposada Tequila, naturally colored and lightly flavored from six months aging in wood barrels, adds a bit more body and complexity to the basic mix.

Once you have lined up your ingredients, the only other problem is deciding the correct proportions. According to the International Bartenders Association, a classic margarita is made with a specific ratio of 7:4:3, meaning the mixture would be 7 parts tequila, 4 parts orange liqueur, and three parts fresh squeezed lime juice. It may be delicious, but all those fractions seem overly complicated (especially after the first few drinks!)

A classic, and simpler, mix is 2 to 3 parts tequila to 1 part liqueur and 1 part lime juice. Shake your ingredients with ice or stir together in a pitcher, but do not use a blender—ever! Pour the drink over ice in a lightly salted glass (With salt... not ground chiles, grated chocolate, desiccated lavender blossoms or any other costly and esoteric ingredient. Just a thin frosting of salt, on the outside rim of the glass.)

Sip slowly as you reacquaint yourself with this provocative little number from days gone by.

 

© 2009/10– Imprint Publishing & Advertising. All rights reserved. Cannot be used or reproduced in any form without permission.