Classic Cointreau Margarita

Squeeze 1/2 OZ (15 ml) of lime with a manual juicer and pour directly into the jigger (to check the exact amount of juice), then pour into the shaker.

Dose the jigger and pour 3/4 OZ (20 ml) of Cointreau into the shaker.

Measure and pour 1 1/4 OZ (35 ml) of Tequila 100% Agave Azul into the shaker.

Take the glass out of the freezer and garnish it with salt. To do this smear half the edge of the glass with a slice of lime.

Swirl the wet part of the cup in the fine salt. For the rim, it's sufficient to lightly garnish the edge of the glass, without exaggerating, otherwise the taste of the salt could dominate that of the Tequila.

Fill the shaker with ice, up to 3/4 full.

Close the shaker and shake vigorously, until it's ice cold.

Pour the cocktail, by filtering it with a colander (double strain). Double filtering is done to prevent ice flakes from ending up inside the glass.

Garnish the glass with a slice of lime using the fruit tweezers. To avoid waste, you can use the lime that is left over from the preparation of the cocktail.

Why not try our margarita rocks recipe.

Discover the five recipes to make the best margarita ever.
 

HISTORY

There have been many bartenders who have claimed the authorship of the Margarita cocktail, but the most accredited are only three, each with a unique and decidedly intriguing story. Among the suitors, there is a tendency to attribute more credit to Danny Negrete, a Mexican barman who, according to legend, prepared the famous Mexican cocktail on the occasion of his brother's wedding to the beautiful Margarita. In practice, the Margarita would be a 'celebratory' cocktail, designed as a wedding gift.

Other sources attribute the paternity to Carlos Herrera, owner of Rancho La Gloria in Tijuana, who claimed to have created it in 1938 to please a client, the charming dancer Marjorie King, allergic to any type of alcohol except Tequila. Where true, a well-deserved applause would go to Carlos.

Again, there is the claim of Don Carlos Orozco that he would have developed the recipe in honour of the daughter of the German ambassador to Mexico, also Margarita, on the occasion of a visit to his restaurant in Ensenada, Baja California, in 1941. There there are obviously many other stories that can be traced back to other sources. We will probably never know the actual truth, however, what is certain is that the fame of the Mexican cocktail is undoubted and globally recognised.

Curiosity

A real Margarita uses 100% Agave Azul Tequila, which means that it is a distillate obtained exclusively from Agave. It is not recommended to use a Tequila blend which is a distillate for 50% obtained from Agave and the remaining 50% from other products.

Although we often see Margarita served in a 'Sombrero' glass this is a mistake, if it is not served with ice. In its country of origin, Mexico, temperatures are always very high, so to be able to sip it fresh you need to add ice and the 'Sombrero' glass is perfect, because it is very large. If you serve it without ice, a martini glass is more suitable, due to its capacity. It is always because of the high temperatures that the glass is rimmed with salt, since taking it together with liquids helps the body not to dehydrate. Although there are several legends and explanations about it, this is the one and only reason why it is used to garnish the Margarita cup.

VARIATIONS

A variant of this cocktail, also recognised by I.B.A., is Tommy's Margarita. Cointreau is replaced by agave syrup, to be exact, 2 bar spoons. It is advisable to emulsify the ingredients before shaking to remove product residue from the end of the spoon.