Summer Cocktail Series: The Classic Margarita

Say goodbye spring and hello summer! It's Memorial Day weekend, the official start to of summer, so fire up those grills, get out those flip-flops and get outside. It's going to be a beautiful weekend here in NYC for the holiday. Finally, respite from the water-logged spring that we had.

And.... Since, it's 5 o'clock, I figured that it would be the perfect time kick off summer with the first in a series paying tribute to all of the cocktails that make summer great. 

First up, the ultimate in summer time fun, the humble margarita.

Now, the margarita has a bad name for its self. You don't need a fancy glass, and for the love of all that is delicious, please, please, please don't order a frozen one. In my humble opinion, the only question you should answer when ordering a margarita is "salt" or "no salt."  This cocktail is a delicate balance of flavor that is easily ruined by things like "sweet and sour" or "Rose's lime juice" or even simple syrup. A true margarita -- like many things -- benefits from simplicity. 

Take it back to its roots: The best margarita is a simple blend of citrus juice. You get your acidity from limes and the sweetness from an orange. Go ahead and add a splash of water to dilute it and add the mix of tequila and Cointreau.  You can use triple sec if you want, it's just a cheaper version of cointreau. I recommend a nice silver, or blanco, tequila for margaritas. Aged tequillas -- or using Grand Marnier -- can be a little too powerful.  Because of the clean flavors in this cocktail the flavor of the tequila will really come through. 

Classic Margarita

makes: 1 quart (about 5 margaritas)

Ingredients:

1 orange, juiced

10 limes, juiced

1/4 - 1/3 cup water

2/3 cup silver tequila

1/2 cup cointreau (or triple sec)

Method:

1.)  Juice the orange and the limes, strain out the pulp into a 2 cup measure, add enough water to bring the liquid up to 2 cups, should be 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup.

2.)  Add your tequila and your cointreau, and stir thoroughly to combine. Garnish with a lime wedge.

3.) Enjoy!