How to make the perfect Margarita

This eponymous cocktail comprising tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and a little salt is descended from a family of 19^th century drinks called Daisies. They are essentially sours with some liqueur thrown in for luxury.

One popular origin story has a Texan socialite coming up with the Margarita during a jolly south of the border in the late ‘40s but that’s about as believable as her showing up in Acapulco and inventing guacamole. In reality, prototypical Margaritas were being mixed up by bartenders around Mexico as early as the 1930s. The drink's adaptability and sheer brilliance has seen it remain popular through nine decades of changing tastes.

To start making your drink, squeeze plenty of limes before cocktail hour rolls around and bottle up your fresh juice to stash in the fridge. It’ll last about a day in there. Margaritas are best taken in succession and any professional will tell you that juicing limes to order is a chore best avoided. Once that’s taken care of, you can prep your glassware.

Margaritas can be served ‘up’ in a cocktail coupe or in a tumbler over ice - which one you choose is largely a matter of how urgently you plan to knock back your drink. Cut a wedge of lime and run it round the rim of your glass. Then roll the outside edge in a little dish of salt. You are aiming to get crystals to adhere to the outside but not the inside. After you’ve done this, it’s time to break out the shaker, and combine the following:

50ml Tequila

25ml Orange Liqueur

25ml Lime Juice

5-10ml Simple Syrup or Agave Nectar

Shake all your ingredients and then strain into your chosen glass.

For a classic Marg’ the Tequila should be a good-quality blanco. There’s a misconception that aged spirits are better and likewise a false assumption that white spirits are inherently harsh. A quality un-aged Tequila made from 100 per cent agave will be bright and fresh with a nice balance of fruit and earthiness. A perfect choice here is Ocho Blanco (£22.95 – The Whisky Exchange), a traditionally made Tequila, each bottle of which can be traced to a single agave growing estate in Jalisco. Using this will bring elements of white pepper, macadamia nut, and sherbet lemons to your Margarita.

The orange liqueur component is given in some recipes as triple sec or curacao but they’re all essentially the same thing. They vary enormously in quality, with cheaper examples containing artificial flavouring and huge amounts of sugar, so it pays to choose carefully. Really, your best bet here is Cointreau (£16 – Waitrose) which comes to you at a respectable 40% ABV and radiates real citrus. A cocktail cabinet essential.

The salt rim is necessary for the full Margarita experience. Something really special happens when sharp lime, grassy Tequila, and sweet orange, hit a little lick of salt. Flaky crystals are best, so you’ll want to pick up a box of Maldon or similar. However, if the idea really bothers you then by all means leave it off, just don’t be tempted to sub in sugar. The drink doesn’t need extra sweetness and your pancreas will thank you.

Time for a switch up?

It’s increasingly popular to replace the Tequila with smoky Mezcal. Corte Vetusto Espadin (£58.35 – Master of Malt) makes a superb margarita with minerality, menthol, and a little funkiness. Though these ancestral sprits have traditionally been sipped neat their popularity with bartenders has helped bring them to the world stage. The sheer variety of flavour found in Mezcal is what makes it so appealing as a cocktail ingredient.

You can make a mezcal Margarita using the basic recipe given above but Corte Vestuso's founder David Shepard Shepard does suggest one tweak if you’re feeling adventurous. “Try rimming the glass with a little Sal de gusano.' You can pick up a jar of this spicy seasoning made with chilli and dried agave worms for £6 from Cool Chile Company. Delicious.

Less traditionally Mexican but definitely delicious is a Margarita made with aged Tequila, a variation known as the Cadillac Margarita in the United States. Any Tequila with ‘reposado’ on the label will have a light golden colour owing to a few months resting in oak casks, usually ex-Bourbon barrels. VIVIR Reposado (£35.95 – Master of Malt) is a nice example of the style with lots of creamy vanilla, banana, and a little white oak spice. The Cadillac adds extra weight by using Cognac based Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge (£19 – Sainsbury’s). It’s a much rounder and richer cocktail than the original, not exactly in the spirit of the original, but perfect for after dinner sipping.

Blood oranges make another nice twist. They are in peak season at the end of February, and can be added with a little Campari for extra depth. The slightly lower alcohol and added bitterness make this one a nice way to start the evening. Recipes with smaller quantities like this can be a bit fiddly but you can get an OXO Good Grips measure that breaks things down into 5ml increments (£3.99 – Lakeland).

35ml Blanco Tequila

15ml Freshly squeezed blood orange juice

15ml Cointreau

15ml Lime Juice

10ml Campari

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a salt rimmed glass, say salud to whoever you’re drinking with, and toast International Margarita Day.