The Best Margarita
This is a stripped-down margarita; no sugar, no mixers, just four simple ingredients—the perfect path to bliss on a hot, humid day. Consume with caution: These babies are strong, but they go down easy.
Ingredients
- 1 lime cut into a wedge or circle to garnish, and the rest juiced
- Salt to rim glass
- 1½ ounces Patron Silver or other 100-percent agave silver tequila
- ¾ ounce Cointreau
Instructions
- Run lime wedge or circle around the rim of a margarita glass. Rim glass with salt. Fill glass with ice.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Combine tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau in shaker, and shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds, or until shaker is frosty. Strain into glass.
Notes
TRY IT WITH: A Basque-style sheep’s milk cheese. “The margarita is the ultimate test of the concept that Basque sheep cheeses pair with anything and everything,” says Martin Johnson, the cheese, charcuterie, beer, and wine buyer for Gastronomie 491 in New York City. “The dominant flavors [of a margarita], citrus and agave, aren’t natural pairings for cheese, [but Basque sheep cheeses’] buttery flavor … that’s not a bad ending to a margarita.” We agree, and particularly enjoy manchego.
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
Photographer Joe Greene
Joe Greene shoots award-winning food photography for web, print, and packaging. Joe started as a painter, switching to photography when he couldn't get his ideas on canvas fast enough. Joe's clients include magazines, celebrity chefs, restaurants, and more.
