Cinco de Mayo is this week … and there is no better way to celebrate than with a margarita!
It’s generally agreed that the components of a classic Margarita are tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. But how much of each? The secret to the perfect margarita is the proportions; balance accounts for the difference between a good drink and a bad one.
For the perfect ratio and some tips on the ingredients, I turned to the folks at Swanky’s Taco Shop. Katie Keough, bar manager at Swanky’s Taco Shop in Germantown, makes one mean margarita.
“The perfect margarita would be an ounce and a quarter of tequila, three-quarters ounces of Triple Sec, fresh squeezed lime juice, splash of sweet and sour, and a splash of Sprite.”
Yep! You heard correctly … Sprite!
“We use Sprite to add a little bit of sweetness to cut the tangy of the sweet and sour.”
And for the other ingredients …
“Silver tequilas are best for making margaritas.” No need to waste a high-end añejo or reposado tequila in a drink with so many other ingredients. Save those for sipping.
“Triple Sec versus Cointreau … there is not a really a difference. They are both orange liqueurs. But Cointreau would be a higher end orange liqueur to use in a margarita.”
And do you need to spend time squeezing fresh lime juice?
“You might be surprised but you can use fresh squeezed lime juice or Rose’s lime juice in a margarita.”
And adding that perfect salted rim couldn’t be any easier: “To have a salted rim on your margarita, just dip the glass in lime juice and then dip it into Kosher salt.”
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish! Happy Cinco de Mayo!
For Swanky’s Taco Shop Cinco de Mayo festivities, menu and locations, visit www.swankystacoshop.com.
Swanky’s Taco Shop Margarita
- 1 ¼ ounces Tequila
- 3/4 ounce Triple Sec
- Juice of 1 Lime
- Splash of Sweet and Sour Mix
- Splash of Sprite
- Ice
Mix all ingredients together. Shake and strain over ice. (Optional: Garnish with lime.)
Serves 1.
Recipe printed with permission from Swanky’s Taco Shop.
