Viva México!: Margarita Course Notes and Margarita Recipes!

Back in late February I was lucky enough to be whisked away to a resort on the Mayan Riviera for a couple of weeks. While there though, instead of just soaking up the sun (which of course I did lots of), drinking Mexican beer (which of course I did lots of) and eating amazing Mexican fare (yet again, tons consumed) I decided that I could mix my love of cocktails with la educación in the form of a Margarita class. Surprisingly, considering the considerable numbers of margaritas I have imbibed over the years, I actually learned quite a bit, including some awesome lip-tingling, mouth-watering recipes (see below). Heck, I learned even more while doing research on this article (salt foam, cool!!). Hopefully some of the info and the recipes are new to you, too. Enjoy!

History (well, in theory anyway): 

The most accepted origin of the Margarita is that it was invented in October 1941 by bartender Don Carlos Orozco at Hussong’s Cantina in Ensenada, Mexico. Apparently, one afternoon while experimenting with making new drinks, an important visitor arrived, Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador who lived with her husband Roy Parodi near Ensenada. Don Carlos offered the drink that he was working on to Margarita, naming it after her for being the first person to try it. It is said that he concocted the margarita with a mixture of equal parts tequila, Controy (see below) and lime, shaken and served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. Since then, the Margarita has become world famous and apparently holds the title of the number one cocktail in the United States.

Controy vs. Cointreau vs. Triple Sec:

When the bartender starting talking to us about the basics for a Margarita, tequila blanco (white tequila), lime juice and Controy, we both thought “he must mean Cointreau, it must be his accent”. Well, we continued on that notion until about 15 minutes later, he explained that in Mexico, Margaritas go from ‘least to most’ starting with Controy, then Cointreau, then Triple Sec. Aha, Controy exists! Yep, it’s a Mexican orange liqueur, circa 1933, that is sweeter, not as complex, not quite as spicy and less refined than Cointreau or Triple Sec. Well, this doesn’t exist in Canada, but apparently it can now be purchased in Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. Didn’t take us long to purchase a bottle and ‘practise’. Yeah, really rough going :). Biggest problem with not having Controy available is the price tag, as it goes for ~$11/L in Mexico, and we have to pay $17+ for Triple Sec and $20+ for Cointreau for just 750ml :(. My take on this is, even though there are obviously differences from one orange liqueur to another, your taste buds will still show up for the party, sombrero in hand, no matter which orange liqueur you choose.

Rimmers:

Traditionally, the rimmer for a margarita is salt, the primary reason being to enhance the taste of the tequila and the lime (the verdict’s a bit out on this one, but this seems to be the most popular notion). Well, there really is no need to stop there if you are going beyond the traditional, e.g. with the Tamarind Margarita (below) which has a chili pepper rim. You would be amazed at the difference the type of rim can make. How about using chocolate liqueur and cocoa powder for a Strawberry Margarita (who doesn’t love chocolate-dipped strawberries?), lime and smoked sea salt for a Jalapeño Margarita, or maybe lime and sugar for a Pineapple Cilantro Lime Margarita? Heck, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, give this ‘Salt foam’ a try, I know I will!: http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/food-dining/recipes/oyamels-salt-air-for-margaritas/

Mango Margarita

1 1/2 ounce white tequila (tequila blanco)

1 ounce orange liqueur

2 ounces mango purée

dash lime juice

Add all ingredients to a blender with ice and blend until fully incorporated. Serve in a margarita glass, garnished with an orange slice and maraschino cherry.

 

Peach Margarita

1 1/2 ounce white tequila

1 ounce orange liqueur

2 ounces peach purée

dash lime juice

Add all ingredients to a blender with ice and blend until fully incorporated. Serve in a margarita glass, garnished with an orange slice.

 

Tamarind Margarita

1 1/2 ounce white tequila

1 ounce orange liqueur

2 ounce tamarind purée

dash lime juice

piquin chili pepper (for garnish)

Add all liquid ingredients to a blender with ice and blend until fully incorporated. Serve in a margarita glass, rimmed with lime juice and chili pepper.

Blue Margarita

1 1/2 ounce white tequila

1/2 ounce blue curaçao

1/2 ounce orange liqueur

2 ounces sweet & sour mix*

dash lime juice

Add ingredients to a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled salt-rimmed margarita glass.

* make your own sweet & sour mix by first making simple syrup (take 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and shake until sugar is dissolved) and adding 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice; keep refrigerated

Next up on mixmentor.net: Tequila, tequila and more tequila! I’ve got some notes from another class I took under the Mexican sun and several recipes to move you beyond the traditional lick of salt, and bite of lemon!