Grab these refreshing recipes and prepare your beverage menu the recommendations are on me! February 22, we raise a glass to National Margarita Day. But before you reach for the limes and tequila, it’s our duty to help you celebrate accordingly with a few simple tips to elevate the most popular cocktail in the United States.
Your friends from el Jimador, the No. 1 selling 100 percent blue agave tequila in Mexico, recently commissioned a survey on this traditional tequila cocktail to offer up some unique ways you can enjoy margaritas with your friends this holiday.
El Jimador Day of the Dead Shoot. Doc’s Cantina. September 12, 2016. Photo by Chet White
Tip #1: Don’t Mess with Muddling
When it comes to unconventional ingredients in margaritas, black raspberry makes the top of the list. But unless you’re bellying up to a downtown craft cocktail bar, nobody has time to mess with muddling. Chambord, a French black raspberry liqueur, is a boozy substitute made with the freshest blackberries and raspberries, to deliver a sweet element that takes your margarita to the next level. Try this recipe:
Black Raspberry Margarita
1 ½ oz el Jimador Tequila
½ oz Triple Sec
3 oz Sour Mix
½ oz Chambord Liquor
In a shaker filled with ice, add ingredients and shake to mix. Pour into margarita glass rimmed with salt (optional). Garnish with a lime or blackberry.
Tip #2: Bring the Heat
Remember when margaritas came in two varieties with or without salt? 84% of survey respondents proclaimed their interest in trying new types of margaritas. In addition, spicy flavors have been on the rise, with ingredients seemingly never hot enough. Conveniently, you’re bound to have a bottle of Tabasco on the shelf of your fridge door, and it’s well worth pairing with a traditional margarita to kick it up a notch… or three. Try this recipe:
Habanero Margarita
1 ½ oz el Jimador Tequila
½ oz Lime Juice
3 oz Sour Mix
3 Dashes of Tabasco sauce
In a shaker filled with ice, add ingredients and shake to mix. Pour into margarita glass rimmed with salt (optional). Garnish with a lime wedge.
Tip #3: Swap Your Soda for Something Sparkly
We love a nice fizz to our tequila cocktail. In fact, Mexico’s most popular traditional cocktail is the Paloma, which is made with grapefruit soda. However, if you’ve been sticking to flavored soda and seltzer water as your carbonation element, then you’re missing out on a bubbly cocktail companion that you’ll wish you met sooner. Try topping your traditional margarita with champagne, or try the beer-in-margarita concept using champagne mini bottles. Try this recipe:
Korbelrita
1 ½ oz el Jimador Tequila
½ oz Triple Sec
3 oz Sour Mix
187ml Korbel California Champagne
Glass: Pint Glass or Traditional Margarita Glass
In a shaker filled with ice, add ingredients and shake to mix. Pour into a pint glass or a traditional margarita glass rimmed with salt (optional). Flip the Korbel upside down into your glass, or top cocktail with champagne. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Tip #4: Or, Keep it Simple. Because Margaritas Are Best Made With Friends.
Maybe these elevated cocktails aren’t for you, and you’d rather just stick to the classic. The good news is that no matter which fruits, flavors, spices you add to your cocktail this National Margarita Day, the best margaritas are made with friends and el Jimador. All you need is five-dozen of the spiciest chicken wings in town, a table that seats 10 of your closest friends, and a bottle of el Jimador. Try this recipe:
Jimirita
1 ½ oz el Jimador Tequila
½ oz Triple Sec
3 oz Sour Mix
In a shaker filled with ice, add ingredients and shake to mix. Pour into margarita glass rimmed with salt (optional). Garnish with a lime wedge.
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