Drinklage #3: How to make a real Margarita!

 The Margarita.  A classic cocktail with a once-proud reputation, more recently made infamous by overly-sweet readymake "just add Tequila!" mixes or even worse, *gag* those premade, underproof (5% ABV?  Really?!) versions that come in those freezable pouches and are barely more than your typical slushy.  Made properly though, this cocktail is greatly refreshing, balancing perfectly those sweet, sour and salty notes, and with a potency somewhere more in the neighborhood of wine.  And as an added plus, it's just ONE MORE INGREDIENT than the mix version, and takes only about a minute more to make.  Intrigued?  Let's begin!

You may notice the lack of artificial color.  This is not a bad thing.

Ingredients: 

 It stands to reason that in order to make a good-quality drink, one should start from good-quality ingredients.  For this, let's use:

• 2oz Tequila:  Any Blanco or Reposado should do; just look for one that says 100% Blue Agave (or the Spanish equivalent) somewhere on the label.  For mine, I used Hornitos' excellent Reposado Tequila.  The aging is just enough to round it out and give it a decent complexity, while not totally eliminating that Tequila personality and bite like so many other brands' aged Tequilas tend to do.  To make a more interesting/smokier Margarita, you can also try using Mezcal.
• 1oz Triple-Sec:  As I mentioned in my previous Drinklage article, there is a very clear distinction between real Triple-Sec and the overly sweet stuff we usually associate with the category.  Get yourself a bottle of Stirrings; once you try it you'll never go back to the regular stuff, I promise.
• 1oz lime juice:  Rose's Lime Cordial will work fine for this, but to get the full effect of a genuine Margarita, you've got to go with a real lime.  If the real lime juice is a bit too tart for your liking, you can always add around 1/2oz of simple syrup.
• ice:  3-ish cubes should do.
• salt:  What sort of Margarita would it be without a salted rim on the glass?  Kosher is preferred; I'll explain why below.

It's actually a lot easier than it looks.

 Step one:  Preparation!

  We'll begin preparation by first cutting the lime in half, then taking a wedge from one of the halves.

Use the same cutting technique for other citrus garnish applications!

 Run the aforementioned wedge around the rim of the glass like so.  This'll put a thin layer of juice along the rim that'll allow the salt to stick.

The main reason why real limes are preferred for this recipe.  Nothing else does this quite so well.

 Next, rotate the rim through the salt.  It doesn't need to be coated, just have enough to where you can get a bit of salt with each sip.  For this, I must definitely state a preference for kosher salt.  The flakes are large and weighty enough that just the right amount will stick.  Table salt's granules are way too fine; use it and you'll end up with entirely too much on the glass.  Sea salt, though great for other culinary applications, will throw off the flavor of the drink.  Go kosher.

Remember, we're going for a slight hint of flavor and texture, but not killing it with salt.

 Squeeze the lime.

HULK SMASH

Step 2:  Putting it all together

 The recipe calls for 1oz of lime juice; fortunately and perhaps not coincidentally, that's the yield of your average lime.

Just the right amount!

 Pour all the ingredients together in your shaker with 3 ice cubes.  As mentioned in the ingredients list, if you want the drink to be a bit less tart, you can add 1/2oz of simple syrup here.

Dump it all in, and then shake!

 Shake it long enough for the ice to break up and the whole drink to be evenly chilled; around 20 seconds should do.

Step Drink:  Pour and enjoy!

 No straining required for this one; just pour and enjoy.  Garnish with that lime wedge from earlier, if you're feeling fancy.  With each sip, rotate the glass so you get a bit of salt with each sip.  And most importantly:  rejoice in the fact that you've just made a classic cocktail the way it was originally intended to be enjoyed, and it only took less than 2 minutes from start to finish to make!

Delicious and refreshing.

Slàinte!