How to Make the Perfect Margarita: When it comes to the Margarita, one of the world’s most popular cocktails, you get a “sexycan feeling” that transports you to hot, Mexican summers by the beach. That’s how Paco Rosales, General Manager of Los Vida in Melbourne describes the first sip.
So we spoke with Paco, all-round Margaritalogist to get his pro tips on how to make the perfect Margarita at home. Here are the two most famous versions of this sexycan drink, the Classico Margarita and Tommy’s Margarita.
How to Make the Perfect Margarita:
Classico Margarita Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 45ml of 100% agave Tequila Blanco
- 15ml of Triple Sec or Cointreau
- 30ml of lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 15ml of simple syrup (optional)
Glassware: salt-rimmed Margarita Glass or “Sombrero Glass”
Garnish: sea salt flakes
Method
In a Boston Glass, add all the ingredients, top with ice, then put the shaker tin on top. Turn it upside down so that the tin is at the bottom. Holding firmly with both hands, shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine strainer, double strain into a chilled, slat-rimmed Margarita glass to remove any fine ice crystals.
Tommy’s Margarita
Created by Julio Bermejo and named after his Mexican bar in San Francisco
Ingredients
- 60ml of 100% agave Tequila Blanco
- 15ml of agave syrup
- 30ml of lime juice
Glassware: rocks glass
Method
In a Boston Glass, add all the ingredients, top with ice, then put the shaker tin on top. Turn it upside down so the tin is at the bottom. Holding firmly with both hands, shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
Using a Hawthorne strainer, strain into a chilled rocks glass and serve over ice.
Pro Tips:
- Always use freshly squeezed citrus to give your drink vibrancy.
- To salt the rim of a glass, set a plate with sea salt flakes. Cut the lime and squeeze a wedge along the outside of the rim putting pressure to coat the circumference outside the glass avoiding any juice to run down the glass. Gently twist the glass leaning on the plate with sea salt flakes. Clean any uneven sides to give it a more consistent look.
- Shaking for 20 seconds adds dilution and lowers the temperature of the drink to -2 to -4 oC, which is the ideal temperature for the cocktail.
- The sweetness of the agave syrup varies between brands so adjust to your liking.
- Try your hand at different Margarita flavours, using syrups, herbs and infusions to create your desired flavour profile. For example, you can infuse Tequila with vanilla beans, jalapeno or use Mezcal instead of Tequila for an earthy, smoky flavour.
Photo Credit: Supplied. In collaboration with Los Vida.
