The simplest of drinks that is the victim of too much cuteness at most bars. The key as always is to keep it to the simple ingredients and to use quality tequila. Never add agave syrup, which is just simple syrup. Most bars, even good ones default to using it. It kills the drink. Order a skinny if you have to, a skinny is just a margarita.
Ingredients:
- Don Julio 70
- Naranja Orange Liqueur
- Limes
- Large flake Margarita Salt or Tajin mixed with salt
- Ice
- Rocks glass
- Cut a lime half wise and then put a slit in it. Use the slit to run across the entire rim.
- Dip the wet rim in Margarita (large flake) salt
- Fill rocks glass w ice above rim. The glass is important, this recipe size fits perfectly
- Squeeze 1/2 to 1 lime on ice. Depending on juiciness, usually it’s not a whole.
- Add 1.5 oz of Tequila (maybe a touch more)
- Add .25 oz of Naranja
- Stir, this will drop the ice level, refill with ice to over the top
- On the beach, the ice starts melting by the time the drink gets to you. You can recreate this by adding one or two ounces of room temp water.
- CRITICAL: always customize for your guests. You do this once for each and you know their tastes. Naranja is quite hardy so every little bit counts.
Do:
- Overfill w ice and stir the ice when done. This salts the drink and gives it a touch of water from the melting ice, creating a refreshing, not tart drink.
- Use good cocktail ice, the cracked stuff if you can find it.
Do not:
- Use bad tequila, treat it like a Martini.
- Use triple sec.
beggarsgourmet.com 