Fresh Citrus Margarita

It’s National Margarita Day! Why not whip up a fresh citrus margarita and kick back to celebrate. This margarita is smooth, not too sweet, and packs a punch with the silver tequila and Grand Marnier. Take the time to rim the glass in both sugar and salt.

By mixing your margaritas yourself, you can control the amount of alcohol, what juices you use, and how sweet you like it.

It can be a little time-consuming and maybe a little tedious to juice the fruit, but the fresh flavor and brightness of the real fruit cannot be matched with anything bottled.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

• Tequila – I like silver myself, but it is all a matter of taste.
• Orange liqueur – Grand Marnier is less sweet than Cointreau or Triple Sec, but any of those works like a charm.
• Citrus juice – use fresh, not bottled. I’m using equal amounts of lime and lemon juice. But you could use orange, tangerine, grapefruit…
• Sweetener – I like agave syrup, but you could make a simple syrup, or use honey, or even super-fine sugar and just shake the heck out of it until it dissolves into the liquid
• Kosher salt and sugar for rimming the glass

VARIATIONS

• Add some heat. Muddle a jalapeno pepper in the cocktail shaker. Slice a bit of the pepper to use as a garnish.
• Want spice? Use chili powder. It is delicious with lime juice and is spicy more than hot.
• Make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cool and keep it in the refrigerator.
• Try different flavors on the rim of the glass. This lime salt is delicious. Chili powder, barbecue salt, or even herbs muddled into the salt and or sugar provide different kicks of flavor.

MORE MARGARITA RECIPES:

• Pineapple Margarita
• Jalapeno Guava Margarita
• Classic Cadillac Margarita
• Fresh Strawberry Key Lime Margarita