Margarita

Tequila cocktail · Shaken

Margarita

Tequila, fresh lime and orange liqueur, shaken hard with a salted rim. Sharp, bright and impossible to have just one.

  • Time5 minutes
  • SkillEasy
  • Serves1
  • GlassCoupe or rocks
  • Kits from£68.90
Build your kit Jump to the recipe

A little history

Where it comes from

Plenty of people have claimed the Margarita. One favourite story puts it in a restaurant near Tijuana in the late 1930s, made for a showgirl who could only drink tequila. Another credits a Texan socialite called Margarita Sames, mixing drinks for friends in Acapulco in the late 1940s.

The likeliest answer is less romantic. "Margarita" is Spanish for daisy, and the Daisy was a popular family of drinks made with a spirit, citrus and orange liqueur. Swap in tequila and you have a Tequila Daisy, which is a Margarita in everything but name.

What you need

  • 50ml Tequila blanco or reposado In your kit
  • 25ml Orange liqueur (triple sec or Cointreau) In your kit
  • 25ml Fresh lime juice (about 1 lime) From your kitchen
  • 10ml Agave syrup, optional, for a softer drink Add-on
  • Pinch Flaky sea salt, for the rim From your kitchen
  • Plenty Ice From your kitchen

Team tip

Only salt half the rim. You get a salty sip when you want one, and a clean one when you don't.

Build your kit
Three levels, from £68.90

How to make it

  1. 1

    Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in salt.

  2. 2

    Add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and agave (if using) to a shaker.

  3. 3

    Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds, until the tin is frosty.

  4. 4

    Strain into the glass, straight up or over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Garnish: A lime wheel and a salted rim

Best with

What to eat with it

Fish tacos and ceviche

Lime meets lime. The sharpness cuts straight through anything crisp or fried.

Chicken fajitas

Smoky, charred peppers love the brightness of fresh citrus and tequila.

Chilli prawns

A bit of heat and a salted rim are made for each other.

Your Margarita kit

1Choose your level

Every kit has a bottle of tequila and a bottle of orange liqueur, enough for around 14 Margaritas. Pick a level, then swap the tequila if you like.

2Swap the bottle if you like

3Add the extras

Try a twist

Tommy's Margarita

Drop the orange liqueur and use agave syrup instead. Cleaner and more tequila-forward.

Mezcal Margarita

Swap half or all of the tequila for mezcal for a smoky edge.

Spicy Margarita

Muddle two slices of fresh chilli in the shaker before you add the rest.

Please enjoy responsibly. Over 18s only. For the facts, visit drinkaware.co.uk.