Serve a wonderfully tangy Margarita with Mexican or Tex-Mex food or as an aperitif with snacks, like tortilla chips and tomato salsa, crème fraîche and guacamole.

A proper Margarita must always be made with freshly squeezed citrus juice and good-quality alcoholic beverages, so forget the horrid-tasting ready-made mixers like "Rose's Lime Juice Cordial" as well as cheap citrus liqueurs and tequilas.

fine-textured sea salt
5 tbsp silver/white tequila
1½ tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
1½ tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp Cointreau
1 lime wedge for garnish

Pour a layer or a ring of sea salt on a smooth-surfaced plate, tray or other shallow dish. If you only have coarse-grained sea salt, crush it finely in a mortar or grind in a salt mill.

Cut a lime or a lemon in half. Take a large cocktail glass (or a tacky Margarita glass pictured above :-) and holding it by its stem, turn it upside down and dampen the rim of the glass by swirling it around the moist surface of the freshly cut lime or lemon half. Immediately dip the glass in the salt to create a thinly frosted rim. Set aside.

Pour the liquids over ice (preferably use cracked ice) in a cocktail shaker. Place the lid on, shake and strain in the salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Serves 1 - 2 (makes between 150 and 200 ml).

Recipe source: rickcooks.com, accessed 2009.

MILDER MARGARITA

Personally, I prefer this unorthodox "milder" version of Margarita to the classic one above.

fine-textured sea salt
4 cl silver/white tequila
5 cl lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 cl lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 cl Cointreau
(extremely small pinch of sugar)
1 lime wedge for garnish

Prepare the glass(es), shake the cocktail and serve it as described in the classic Margarita recipe above. Omit the sugar, if you like.
Serves 1 - 2.

Recipe source: family recipe.

FROZEN MARGARITA

Blending the Margarita ingredients with ice makes a cocktail less potent than the classic recipe at the top of this page. Enjoy this drink on a sunny patio with Mexican/Tex-Mex snacks.

fine-textured sea salt
up to 8 or 9 regular-sized ice cubes
4 tbsp (60 ml) silver/white tequila
2 - 6 tbsp (30 - 90 ml) lime juice, freshly squeezed (or use half lime juice and half lemon juice)
2 tbsp (30 ml) Cointreau
2 tsp sugar
1 lime wedge for garnish

Pour a layer or a ring of sea salt on a smooth-surfaced plate, tray or other shallow dish. If you only have coarse-grained sea salt, crush it finely in a mortar or grind in a salt mill.

Cut a lime in half. Take two large cocktail or Margarita glasses and holding one by its stem, turn it upside down and dampen the rim of the glass by swirling it around the moist surface of the freshly cut lime half. Immediately dip the glass in the salt to create a thinly frosted rim. Repeat with the other glass and set aside.

Make sure to use a blender suitable for crushing ice. Blend the ice cubes in the blender until slightly crushed. Pour in the liquids and the sugar and blend briefly. Pour the mixture in the glasses, garnish with lime wedges and serve.
Serves 2.

Recipe source: family recipe.