I’m not a bartender but I am a professional drinker. So while I’ll leave the intricate mixology to the folks behind the bar, when I’m at home I do enjoy making margaritas. And for decades, without much thought, I have defaulted to the classic 3-2-1 approach, if for no other reason than it’s easy to remember: three parts tequila, two parts fresh-squeezed lime juice and one part triple sec or Cointreau. (I’ve seen many people invert the amounts of lime and triple sec, but I find that version absurdly sweet and heavy.) However, after drinking so many unique restaurant margaritas to-go at home during the pandemic, I began to rethink that 3-2-1 formula.
Thus began an obsessive round of recipe testing. I wanted to keep it simple. Lime and tequila is a perfect pairing, and if you add much more than that it’s no longer a margarita.
I gathered recipes from the websites of a dozen great tequila brands. I figured if anybody knows how to make a proper margarita, it should be the people who distill the blue agave. Most of these recipes called for vaguely similar ratios of tequila, lime and agave syrup. Surprisingly, only a few called for triple sec or Cointreau.
Once I started down this rabbit hole, I found it hard to stop. I squeezed several pounds of limes. And several pounds more. I made batches of six different margaritas at a time and tasted them blind, side-by-side, creating a veritable round robin of margaritas.
I ran it multiple times and the undisputed winner of this drunken tournament was a recipe from Partida, which caught me off-guard because it was the only recipe that called for water. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Not much water, just enough to help temper the sourness of the fresh lime juice while at the same time reducing the need for sweetener. That’s the main thing I learned. And here are a few other realizations I gleaned along the way:
Lesson 1: The quality of tequila really matters.
I knew this already, but this just confirmed it. If the tequila is not something you enjoy sipping and savoring on its own, it’s not going to make a great margarita. The tequila should be the star of any good margarita, not something that needs to be hidden. Sometimes I want a heavier, sultry, old-style añejo like 1800, or perhaps a smoother, creamy, more nuanced añejo like El Tesoro. Other times I want the clean taste of a good silver or blanco such as Casa Noble, Corralejo or Partida. And sometimes the mood calls for a more floral or botanical tequila like Casamigos or Mijenta. Any one of these tastes great in this very simple recipe.
Lesson 2: No two limes are the same.
Today, the fruit could be almost sweet. Next week, it will be extremely sour. So use this recipe as a starting point, then readjust the agave slightly if needed.
Lesson 3: Forget about triple sec and Cointreau.
I now realize the only reason for adding triple sec or Cointreau is to hide the taste of bad tequila, but see Lesson 1. That said, a very light splash of Grand Marnier over the top (classic Cadillac) can still be very appealing and complementary. What I discovered works even better, though, is a new liqueur from Mexico called Nixta, which is made from corn. Unlike the orange liqueurs, the Nixta is subtle. It adds noticeable depth without completely altering the flavor and hiding the taste of tequila.
To be sure, this is a very deep rabbit hole. There must be a million ways to make a decent margarita. However, this is the recipe I’ll be using regularly at home from now on.
The Perfect Margarita
1 part fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 part agave nectar
1/2 part water
2 parts good tequila
Garnish: kosher salt and limes
1. Make a limeade by combining the lime juice, agave and water. It should be slightly sweet and refreshingly sour. Limes can vary wildly, so adjust the sweetness of the limeade as necessary before combining with tequila. You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
2. To make margaritas, mix equal parts limeade and tequila. Figure about 2 ounces tequila to 2 ounces of limeade per drink. Shake vigorously with ice. Pour into salt-rimmed glasses and garnish with limes.
If making a pitcher, simply scale up to cups, pints or quarts. You should be able to get 12 margaritas per typical 750-milliliter bottle of tequila.
Easy Variations:
Spicy margarita (best with an old-school añejo like 1800): Add 1 part Ancho Reyes chile liqueur.
Simple Cadillac: Float a light splash of Grand Marnier on top.
Nixta Cadillac: Add 1 part Nixta corn liqueur and a dash of orange bitters.
