After years of following that old trope, I decided to see if I could find a better way. So I gathered recipes from the people who should know best: the top tequila brands. I mined a dozen tequila websites for their recipesm Most call for vaguely similar ratios of tequila, lime and agave syrup (or simple syrup), with only a handful calling for triple sec or cointreau, which reinforced my long-held belief that the liqueur was far less important than the lime and syrup. I squeezed several pounds of limes. And several pounds more. I made batches of six different margaritas at a time and tasted them blind, side-by-side — a round robin tournament of margaritas. I ran it multiple times, and one recipe kept coming up as the undisputed winner: the margarita from Partida.
Note: I am not affiliated with Partida in any way, but I am now a huge fan. That said, my favorite tequila is hands-down Tesoros (it’s so good!). I’m also big a fan of Casa Noble, Maestro Dobel and Clase Azul, despite the latter having a reputation among some modern tequila critics as not being 100% additive-free (but screw that, I still love it).
THE PERFECT MARGARITA
1 part fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 part agave nectar
1/2 part water
2 parts good tequila
Garnish: kosher salt and limes
1. Make your sweet-and-sour base by combining the lime juice, agave and water. It should be slightly sweet and refreshingly sour. Limes can vary wildly, so adjust the sweetness of the limeade as necessary before combining with tequila. You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
2. To make margaritas, mix equal parts limeade and tequila. Figure about 2 oz. tequila to 2 oz. of limeade per drink. Shake vigorously with ice (don’t skip this step). Pour into salt-rimmed glasses and garnish with limes.
Note: If making a pitcher, simply scale up the parts to cups, pints or quarts; and they’ll still taste best if vigorously shaken before serving. I usually get about 12 margaritas per typical bottle of tequila.
Easy Variations:
Spicy margarita: Add 1 part Ancho Reyes chile liqueur. (I especially like to pair Ancho Reyes with an old-school añejo like Tequila 1800.)
Nixta Cadillac: Instead of the traditional Grand Marnier orange liqueur, top it off with 1 part Nixta, a sweet corn liqueur from Mexico, plus a dash of good orange bitters.
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