Classic margaritas

You may remember my "Excellent Margarita Recipe" from back in May. Although that has been a favorite, it's pretty far from a "classic" margarita, whose proportions are 3:2:1 tequila, lime juice, and triple sec. After having margaritas at a neighbor's party, and hearing it used a 3:2:1 mix, I recently tried the "classic" again, and had good results. As you can imagine, changing from a 3:3:4 mix with some simple syrup to a 3:2:1 mix makes for a STRONG drink... the tequila goes from slightly less than 3/10ths of the drink to 1/2! Grace didn't like it at all.

The next time I made it with a 3:2:1, it seemed unusually strong, and not quite as good, even though I was using the same 3:2:1 ratio and same ingredients. Screwed around with it for a while, but never did find something that tasted quite as good as my previous 3:2:1 mix.

FWIW, I'm using a Jose Cuervo blanco with a basic triple sec (haven't tried the 3:2:1 with Cointreau yet) -- this is what I saw in most recipes online. I know Jose Cuervo doesn't seem to have a great reputation with folks who like tequila, but I've seen several folks say that the lower quality tequila actually works better in a margarita.

So, I still think my previous recipe is good for a more "Americanized" margarita... but I'm still searching for the best combo on the "classic" margarita.

Black cherry mojito recipie

Back in May, I posted a Margarita recipe that we had come up with, since I had trouble finding a consistent recipe online. It's sweeter than the typical Margarita, (as Grace and Laurie like it) but it's still pretty good. Another drink we enjoy, that I've made in the past, but had no consistent recipe, was a Mojito. One of the problems with a Mojito is that it typically uses a carbonated drink of some sort, most typically Sprite. However, Sprite is all loaded up with high fructose corn syrup, which more and more studies are showing is just plain bad. So, we have been trying to figure out how to make a mojito without the HFCS.

One of our favorite variations on the mojito is to add pomegranate juice, or even Pama, a pomegranate liqueur. It doesn't solve our problem about the HFCS, but it sure does taste good. While Grace was drinking a Boylan's black cherry soda at lunch one day, she had a great idea... why not use Boylan's black cherry instead of Sprite?

Well, I thought it was an excellent idea, and that night I whipped up a batch. We sampled... and I whipped up another batch. We tested that one, and I whipped up a third batch. Was I fine tuning the mix? Nope... just enjoying it enough to keep making more!

So here's the recipe I used:

• mint leaves
  I use "apple" mint, which grows immensely fast outside our house. Any mint would do, but a peppermint would likely be too strong. I kinda wing it on the quantity, but you should at least cover the bottom of the glass, and the more the merrier.
  
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp sugar
  we use natural unbleached sugar... any granular sugar will do.
  
• 2 oz white rum, Bacardi is fine
• 2 oz Boylan's black cherry soda
• splash of triple sec

Put the mint leaves in the glass, dump the sugar in, then juice the lime onto this. Mull the mixture - in other words, crush it with some sort of blunt object - but don't get too crazy. If you smash it up too much it'll look like lawn clippings in your mojito. (ask how I know) I'll tear larger mint leaves in half or even quarter so the sizes are all roughly the same size.

Once the mixture is decently mixed (don't worry about dissolving the sugar) add the rum, Boylan's, and triple sec. Give it a stir, serve over ice. Make sure some of the mint leaves wind up in the mixture, it adds to the mint flavor.

Excellent Margarita recipe

While we were out in Mexico, we wanted Margaritas, and not the type that come pre-mixed. We wanted some authentic Margaritas. I did some research and found many recipes, all of which were different. Many agreed on the 3:2:1 ratios, but even those disagreed as to which ingredient was in what spot. Many recipes call for Cointreau specifically, but we discovered that in Mexico, tequila might be in every corner store, but good luck finding even a basic Triple Sec. We ultimately found a basic cheap orange liqueur, and used that.

Considering there are really only four ingredients in a Margarita, I just don't understand the need for a premix. It might be the resistance to having to squeeze all those limes, but honestly, that's not that hard if you get the right tool. We have a lemon juicer that we got from Bed Bath & Beyond, but can be gotten from many places, such as Amazon or Williams Sonoma. With that handy tool, you just cut the lime in half, put it in face down, and squeeze. Quick and simple.

Anyhow, let's get to the ingredients:

1 part Triple Sec/Orange Liqueur
3/4 part Tequila
3/4 part Lime juice
1/4 part simple syrup

Mix it all up and serve on the rocks, or blend the ice and have it frozen.

Comments on the ingredients:

The triple sec can be Cointreau but we haven't tried that yet, and since the results seem to be fine with just a plain triple sec, which is cheaper, that's what we've been using.

The tequila should be white, but if you happen to have a gold on hand, it'll work. The color of the finished margarita won't be quite as nice but it still tasted good.

Simple syrup is just a 1:1 water to sugar mix, and the only need for the water is to dissolve the sugar.

Enjoy, but be careful! They're pretty strong!