Celebrations, Commiserations and Everything In-Between: The Margarita

 🎓 4th Year PhD • 📘 History • ⚪ No mood required

The title says it all, really. Although I was introduced to this particular cocktail just before my first burnout during lockdown (it was coincidental, I promise you), it has since been a mainstay for all occasions: celebratory events, frustrated afternoons, mini meltdowns, date nights, spontaneous evenings, pre-drinks and, if I’m being honest, to treat boredom.

Being fair to myself, the reason it took me so long to try this was because I was used to seeing sickly-sweet versions being poured into cheap martini glasses or served in pitchers at student bars. The secret to a good margarita, I believe (and I can only speak from my brief experience as a cocktail waitress, as well as my long-standing experience as a casual alcoholic), is to stick to the three fundamental ingredients. And if I’ve learnt anything about cocktails more generally it’s this: it’s all about the balance of ingredients and with it, sugar is almost never required.

I’ll stop mansplaining. You know how you like your cocktails and I assume you know how to make a margarita—I mean, it’s hardly complicated—but on the off-chance you don’t, here’s the ‘recipe’ I use. It's as easy as 1-2-3 (or 3-2-1 in this instance).

And, in case you need permission to have more than just the one, I promise you it won’t hit the sweet spot until you’ve had at least two…

P.S. Yes, the books in the photo were my intended bedtime literature this past Christmas and no, I haven’t managed to read them (apart from McAlpine’s almost pornographic recipe book).

A few notes on the recipe: 

As I said, I’ve kept things simple but there are plenty of recipes online that jazz things up a bit, such as in the form of the spicy margarita. You can also add garnishes—slices of fresh or dehydrated lime, for instance—but, personally, I find they just get in the way of the actual consumption. You are of course allowed to add sugar (gomme) syrup but add it bit by bit so it just takes the edge off. However, I’d implore you to try it without, ice cold, first.

In terms of alcohol brands, that’s really up to you. The better the alcohol, the better the cocktail should be (although you may need to play around with the ratios if the brand is particularly flavourful or strong), but any well-known supermarket option should do.

Regarding the salt: it’s of course not necessary to add, but I’d recommend it. Namely, I’d advise using flaked sea salt and bashing it a bit to make it finer. Flaked sea salt is less salty than fine sea/table salt (due to the nature of the crystal formation), so bear that in mind if you use that instead. If you do, I’d suggest just thinly coating the rim, or perhaps only half of it, with the fine salt.

A note on quantities: given this recipe is based on ratios and not specific amounts, assume that the following guidelines give enough for one healthy cocktail if you use a standard 2.5ml shot measure. And I’d recommend doubling up; this cocktail is better served in pairs.

Servings: Depends on shot measure/s used         🥖 GF    🥛 LF    🥕 V    🌱 VE

Time:
👐 Hands-on: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 parts tequila (of your preference)

• 2 parts orange liqueur (I opt for Cointreau) 

• 1 part lime juice

• 1 tsp (or more) flaked sea salt (optional; fine sea/table salt can also be used)

• Optional additions (see notes on the recipe)

Instructions

1. Firstly, pour out some flaked salt onto a small plate or saucer. I usually bash the salt briefly in a pestle and mortar so that it’s a little finer. But it’s totally down to preference. Fine salt can also be used (see notes on the recipe).

2. Take your glass/es of choice and run the now squeezed out lime halves around the rim so a little lime juice frosts the edge/s. Dip the glass rim/s into the salt by placing the glass/es upside down onto the plate or saucer.

3. Add the tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice in a shaker already filled with a handful of ice cubes. Shake until the shaker becomes ice cold.

4. Now, take the cap off of the shaker and pour its contents into the glass/es. Ideally, I would pour it through a tea strainer to remove any lime bits.

5. Take a moment and enjoy the first lovely sip.

Storage

Don’t be ridiculous. Drink up.