Margaritas

Margaritas

HOMEMADE MARGARITA MIX
3 cups water 
3 cups sugar

Makes 8 cups.
2 cups fresh lemon juice 
2 cups fresh lime juice

1. Combine water and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Cool syrup at least to room temperature.

2. Mix simple syrup, lemon juice and lime juice. Cover and chill until cold. Keeps 1 week in refrigerator and also freezes well.

BLENDED MARGARITAS
Coarse salt and lime wedges
1 1/2 cups Homemade Margarita 
Mix 1 cup silver or gold Tequila

Makes 4 to 6.

Rub rims of 6 glasses with lime wedges and dip rims in coarse salt. Set aside. 

Combine Margarita mix, Tequila, Triple Sec and ice cubes in blender. (Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to blend half at a time.) Process until well blended. Pour into glasses. Garnish each glass with a lime slice.

POMEGRANATE LIME MARGARITAS
4 parts silver or gold tequila
2 parts triple sec
2 parts pure pomegranate juice
1 part strained lime juice (or half lemon, half lime) Ice cubes
Lime wedges

Fill a shaker 2/3 with ice. Add tequila, triple sec, pomegranate juice and lime juice. Shake until very cold and strain into a martini or margarita glass. 

Garnish with a lime.

1/4 cup Triple Sec 8 ice cubes
4 to 6 lime slices

PINEAPPLE CITRUS MARGARITA Makes 8.
2 1/2 cups blanco or reposado tequila
1 cup triple sec or Cointreau
2 cups pineapple juice (from a refrigerated carton—TJ’s is best!)
1 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup simple syrup (see below)
Ice cubes Pineapple spears or cubes and maraschino cherries, for garnish

Combine the tequila, Cointreau or triple sec, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice and simple syrup in a large pitcher; refrigerate up to 6 hours. 

Fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes and just cover with margarita mixture; shake for 10 seconds. Strain into chilled martini glasses and repeat. Garnish each with a piece of pineapple and a cherry on a toothpick.

Simple Syrup: Combine equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Cool and refrigerate up to 1 week.

GINGER LIME MARGARITA
Ice Cubes
3/4 cup silver or gold tequila 1/2 cup Triple Sec
1/3 cup fresh strained lime juice 1/4 cup Ginger Simple Syrup* Lime slice for garnish
Lime Salt*

Makes 2.

Fill shaker 2/3 full of ice and add tequila, Triple Sec, Ginger Syrup and lime juice. Shake well until chilled. Rim glasses with Lime salt and fill with margaritas. Garnish each glass with a lime slice.

*Ginger Simple Syrup: Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and stir over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Add 4 slices fresh ginger and bring to a simmer. Cool and refrigerate. Can be refrigerated 1 week.

*Lime Salt: Combine the salt and lime zest with a mortar and pesto. Set in a plate; rub glass rims with lime wedge and then dip in salt mixture.

PEACHY MARGARITA Makes 2.
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup silver or gold tequila
1/4 cup peach schnapps
1/4 cup peach puree (made from frozen, thawed peaches) 1/4 cup peach nectar
2 T. fresh strained lime juice

Place ice in blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into glasses and serve.

STRAWBERRY MANGO MARGARITAS
Granulated Sugar and Lime wedges 
2 cups diced fresh strawberries
3 T. sugar
1 cup white Tequila
3/4 cup Homemade Margarita Mix

Makes 4 to 6.
6 T. Triple Sec
6 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks 2 cups ice cubes

1. Rub rims of 12 glasses with lime wedges and dip rims in sugar. Set aside. Toss strawberries with 3 T. sugar and let stand 15 minutes.

2. Place strawberries and any accumulated juices, Tequila, Margarita Mix, Triple Sec and lime juice in a bowl or pitcher. Fill blender with half the ice, top with half the mangos and then half the strawberry mixture. Blend well and pour into glasses and serve immediately.

FROZEN MANGO MARGARITA
Makes 4 to 6.
Granulated Sugar and Lime wedges 
1 1⁄2 cups diced fresh or frozen and thawed mango 
1 cup white Tequila

6 T. Triple Sec or Cointreau 
6 T. fresh orange juice
6 T. fresh lime juice
3 cups ice cubes

3⁄4 cup Homemade Margarita Mix

Rub rims of 12 glasses with lime wedges and dip rims in sugar. Set aside.
Place mango, Tequila, Margarita Mix, Cointreau or Triple Sec, orange juice and lime juice in the blender until smooth. Add the ice cubes and puree until slushy. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

HAND-SHAKEN CITRUS GOLD MARGARITA 
Makes 6 to 8.

Coarse salt and lime wedges 
Crushed Ice
1 cup gold Tequila
1⁄2 cup Cointreau liqueur

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3⁄4 cup fresh orange juice
2 1⁄2 cups Homemade Margarita Mix 6 to 8 lime slices

Rub rims of 8 glasses with lime wedges and dip rims in coarse salt. Fill glasses halfway with crushed ice, if desired. Set aside. 

Combine the Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, orange juice and Margarita mix in a pitcher. Fill a cocktail shaker 2/3 full with crushed ice. Pour in enough of the Margarita to just cover the ice. Shake vigorously and pour over ice. Repeat as necessary and garnish with lime slices.

WINE MARGARITAS
Lime Wedge
Coarse Salt
1 cup dry vermouth
1 cup Margarita mix (preferably homemade) 
2 cups ice cubes

Makes 3 to 4.

For margaritas, run lime wedge around the top edge of each glass and then drop the lime into the glass. 
Place vermouth, margarita mix and ice cubes in a blender. Blend well and pour into glasses and serve immediately.

BEER MARGARITAS 
Serves 2 to 4.
1-12 oz. can limeade, thawed 
1-12 oz. Mexican beer
3/4 cup tequila
Lime and salt
Combine all in a pitcher and stir gently; serve in salt-rimmed glasses.