Like most of you I love a good margarita. Gernerally, I’m good for a solid two. Anything thereafter is a toss up of either being surprisingly fine the next day or it’s a battle of trying to stay in enough form to avoid laziness for productivity.
Well as many of you know from last week, we had a flood in our home. What a nightmare – 4 days of of loud fans, heaters cranked up to 120 degrees and a 1-year-old whose sleep schedule was switched all around for the workmen. Give me one, maybe two, but all three of those things, at once—pass me a drink or two.
All that chaos was as good as any excuse to work on my margarita making skills—something I’m always trying to fine tune, as evident by these margarita posts: Classic Margarita {Re-mixed}, Pineapple Serrano Margarita and Gilled Sweet and Spicy Margarita.
This time I’m going for the classic margarita recipe with a little heat. No fancy add-ins. No cool tricks. No special ice. No frills. Something that I almost feel guilty for posting, because like it or not, sometimes I feel that unless it has a twist you won’t be interested. But let’s agree sometimes simple is best.
That said here are a few tips for how to make the best classic style margarita (at least according to my taste):
- This almost goes without saying, but just in case you need a little nudge to go ahead and buy the 100% high quality agave tequila—do it—yes, it makes a difference!
- Forget triple sec, but don’t forget the Cointreau (like I did in the photos).
- Fresh limes only! Nothing out of that plastic lime-shaped bottle (you know what I’m talking about) or any other pre-squeezed variation.
- Shake it all up in cocktail shaker until your hands get really, really cold. No blender blasting unless you are making margarita popsicles.
- Skip the jalapenos, if you aren’t into spicy drinks.
Lastly, if you have any tips for a killer margarita, share it with the rest of us in the comment section.
The Classic Margarita Recipe
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. tequila (100% agave only!)
- 1 oz. Cointreau
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice
- 3 slices jalapeno
Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and muddle the jalapenos. Add in ice and shake until the shaker is covered in condensation and your hands are very cold. Strain or pour directly into a glass with ice or serve"up" style.
Welcome to my cozy corner where baking meets random thoughts and musings. I’m a self-taught baker sharing all things sweet (and some savory—okay, and cocktails) with a whisk in one hand and a camera in the other. 
UGH, I SO hope you get your house fixed up ASAP, that is SUCH a bummer!
Good thing you had a solid 2 (maybe 3 in this case?) of these to help make you feel better. Love that jalapeno! Pinned!
Simple is fine with me! I’ve wanted to develop my skills in cocktail making too and I’ve never made margaritas before so I’ll definitely have to try these!
There’s never just one margarita. We’re always looking at at least two… but probably three. They’re just so wonderful. And I’m totally with you. I love the heat. In fact, I once asked for a spicy tequila drink and they made me a margarita with a ghost chili pepper infused tequila. So spicy. So good.
So sorry to hear about the rough week! I hope everything goes back to semi normal this week. The margaritas however look amazing!
I feel your pain (I had 2 floods last year – dishwasher pump went out and slab leak). Yes margaritas are most definitely in order! And these look perfect! I’m sorry about your leak!
UGH!! I’m so sorry!! These marge will definitely make things better!
This makes me want to try a margarita with jalapeños now!
Love the heat in this. Pinning.
Oh god, that sounds horrible!!! I would definitely need a ton of these after the week you had
Gotta LOVE a classic marg!!
I used to think I didn’t like margaritas. Probably because the only time I had them was college. They were cheap and frozen. Then I made them with decent tequila, fresh lime juice and agave to sweeten it up a bit. They are soooo good its hard to stop with two. I think I will try the Cointreau though. Good luck with flood repair!
Sometimes, a classic margarita recipe is all you need. . and with a week like you had last week, I would definitely be drinking. YES to the fresh limes only and I love those glasses!
What a fun idea to add heat to a drink!
I used to think I hated Tequila (rough weekend in Rosaritto) but jalapeño margaritas are my fave by far in the world of liquor!
I love margs with a little heat -and after all you guys have gone through, you’ve definitely earned a PITCHER of these!!
A margarita pool day with these is just what I need!!
I love a good margarita with some heat! I don’t love hearing about your flooding, though. Hope things are back to normal for you guys.
Love that spicy kick, these would be great with Heather’s halibut tacos!
Hooray for summer and for margaritas, can’t cant to try to beat the heat with one of these.
I’m so sorry to hear about your basement–what a pain. You’ve convinced me to place my cheap tequila on the back shelf and bring in some good tequila. Love this!
this is my favorite way to drink a marg- with a little spice!
Amen to a good marga with salt – on the rocks, of course!! Always a winner. 😉
NOTHING beats a margarita in the summertime, and this one looks fantastic! My hubby and I have been enjoying adding a little heat to our drinks lately, so we’ll definitely have to give this a try! So sorry to hear about the flood, I sure hope everything gets back to normal real soon. Good luck!
Oh no, sorry to hear about the flood
A drink or two is definitely in order after the week you had. Hope everything gets sorted out soon.