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Home » Blog » Cocktail and Drink Recipes » Classic Margarita

Classic Margarita

Cathy Roma Published: May 2, 2019

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Classics are considered classics for a reason. The classic margarita is straightforward, simple, and decidedly delicious. 
Classics are considered classics for a reason. The classic margarita is straightforward, simple, and decidedly delicious. 

Two margaritas garnished with salt and lime slices, with a cocktail shaker, strainers and limes scattered around.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in fancy ingredients and changing things up that we forget about the classics. But classics are classics for a reason, right? 

Take the classic margarita. Just a few simple ingredients and we have a smooth, tart cocktail that goes down easy. 

While a margarita may be simple, you need to choose your ingredients wisely. What takes a margarita from blah to YUM is selecting the right tequila. Here’s a little tequila cheat sheet:

Two margaritas garnished with salt and lime slices, with a cocktail shaker, liquor, and limes scattered around.

Tequila 101

Blanco (Silver): Tequila blanco is bottled right after it is distilled and the flavor of the agave is most pronounced. It’s perfect for margaritas and other bright, citrus flavored cocktails.

Reposado: This tequila is aged in oak barrels for a year or less. It is golden in color and its flavor is more mellow than tequila blanco with notes of oak and vanilla.

Anejo: This tequila is aged for at least a year and is deep amber in color. The oak is more pronounced and the flavor is smooth and rich which makes it ideal for sipping.

Close up a of a classic margarita garnished with salt and lime.

Tips for success

  • When your cocktail recipe has only a few ingredients, make sure you use the best quality ones. Choose a tequila that you would sip on its own, squeeze your own limes instead of buying bottled lime juice, and select a top shelf orange liqueur.
  • While you don’t need a cocktail shaker, shaking your margarita well over ice allows the flavors to blend well instead of simply stirring it in the glass.
  • Rub a lime wedge along the rim of the glass before dipping in salt. It adds a little pop of lime flavor as you sip.

More Margarita Magic

  • Margarita Chicken Tacos
  • Mango Shrub Margarita
  • Margarita Watermelon Bites
  • Margarita Grilled Shrimp

Two margaritas garnished with salt and lime slices, with a cocktail shaker, strainers and limes scattered around.

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Two margaritas garnished with salt and lime slices, with a cocktail shaker, strainers and limes scattered around.
Print
Classic Margarita
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

Classics are considered classics for a reason. The classic margarita is straightforward, simple, and decidedly delicious. 

Course: Cocktail/Drink
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: margarita
Servings: 2 Servings
Calories: 225 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For...
Ingredients
  • 4 oz tequila blanco
  • 2 oz orange liqueur (Cointreau)
  • 2 oz lime juice
  • kosher salt and lime slices for garnish
Instructions
  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Shake well.

  2. Rub a lime wedge on the rim of a glass and dip in kosher salt. Fill two glasses with ice and divide the cocktails between the two glasses. Garnish with lime wedges.

Recipe Notes
  • When your cocktail recipe has only a few ingredients, make sure you use the best quality ones. Choose a tequila that you would sip on its own, squeeze your own limes instead of buying bottled lime juice, and select a top shelf orange liqueur.
  • While you don't need a cocktail shaker, shaking your margarita well over ice allows the flavors to blend well instead of simply stirring it in the glass.
  • Rub a lime wedge along the rim of the glass before dipping in salt. It adds a little pop of lime flavor as you sip.
Nutrition Facts
Classic Margarita
Amount Per Serving
Calories 225
% Daily Value*
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 33mg1%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Sugar 9g10%
Vitamin C 8.5mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
9

Cocktail and Drink Recipes, Recipe cinco de mayo, cocktail, lime, Mexican, tequila, cointreau, classic margarita, margaritas

About Cathy Roma

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

Learn More about Cathy

Subscribe now to receive my exclusive guide of How to Stock a Pantry delivered straight to your inbox!

Join the What Should I Make For... Community to learn what to cook to when to achieve a happier, more balanced life.

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