Sample These Margarita Recipes For A Special Happy Hour
From the refreshing zest of a Mojitorita to the sweet, icy bliss of a frozen margarita, there's a cocktail here for every palate. Here are a few margaritas, ready to shake up your happy hour with a twist on the classic that’ll have your guests buzzing with delight (and not just from the booze). Grab your shaker, and let’s get mixing!
Mojitorita: A Minty Twist on the Classic
Fuse the mojito's minty freshness with the zest of a margarita, and what do you get? The Mojitorita. Start with 45 ml of Smirnoff Vodka for a smooth base. Add 15 ml of lime juice, 10 ml of simple syrup, and a hearty handful of fresh mint leaves. Shake vigorously with ice, then strain into a salt-rimmed glass filled with fresh ice. Top with a splash of soda water for that fizzy lift. It's like a party in a glass, where the mojito and margarita take turns entertaining.
Margarita Mocktail
Who says you need alcohol to have fun? For a margarita mocktail that'll have everyone asking for seconds, mix 45 ml of any non-alcoholic spirit, with 15 ml of lime juice and 10 ml of agave syrup. Shake with ice, strain into a tajin-rimmed glass, and top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with a lime wheel for that authentic margarita look, sans the hangover.
Frozen Strawberry Margarita
Nothing says ‘chill’ quite like a frozen strawberry margarita. Blend 45 ml of Don Julio Blanco Tequila with a cup of frozen strawberries, 15 ml of lime juice, and 10 ml of agave syrup until smooth. Serve in a chilled glass and garnish with a strawberry slice. This frozen delight is your ticket to beating the heat, one icy sip at a time.
Yet another frozen Margarita variant, great for a party, can be made with limes (2, cut into 8 wedges), 1/4 cup margarita salt, 8 cups crushed ice, 1 can frozen limeade concentrate, 1 cup Don Julio Blanco), 1/4 cup of an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, and about 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice.
The lime wedges should be rubbed on the rims of eight margarita glasses, then each rim should be dipped in salt. Meanwhile, you can blend ice, limeade, tequila, orange liqueur and orange juice until it forms a smooth and slushy mix. Pour into prepared glasses. Serve with the remaining lime wedges.
Calling Summer With Watermelon-Mint Margarita
Combine the juicy sweetness of watermelon with the coolness of mint for a margarita that screams summer. Blend 45 ml of Ciroc Vodka with a generous scoop of fresh watermelon chunks, 15 ml of lime juice, a handful of mint leaves, and ice until smooth. Pour and garnish with a watermelon wedge and mint sprig. It's refreshment at its finest, perfect for those long, lazy summer days.
Classic Margarita: Back to Basics
Sometimes, you just can't beat the classic. Shake up 45 ml of Don Julio Reposado Tequila with 15 ml of lime juice and 7.5 ml of triple sec. Strain into a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice, and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel for aesthetics. This timeless drink is a testament to the adage ‘if it ain't broke, don't fix it,’ delivering a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and salty.
Want your Classic Margarita with a spicy kick? Gently muddle a couple of jalapeño coins in a shaker, then pour in 60 ml of Don Julio Blanco tequila, 30 ml of orange liqueur, 30 ml lime juice, and 15 ml of agave syrup, plus ice, and shake until well-chilled. Prep a margarita glass in the usual manner (rim rubbed with lemon wedge, then inverted into salt), add some ice, and then strain the contents of the shaker over it. Garnish with an jalapeño coin.
Hibiscus Tea Margarita
Last but not least, the hibiscus tea margarita is a fresh floral take on the classic. Brew a strong cup of hibiscus tea and cool it down. Mix 45 ml of Don Julio Reposado with 30 ml of the tea, 15 ml of lime juice, and a tablespoon of wild honey. Shake it over ice, strain into a glass, and garnish with a hibiscus flower. Perfect for impressing a date or just treating yourself, this drink delivers on both beauty and taste.
You can also incorporate fresh, seasonal fruits like peaches, mango and grapefruit into your Margarita. For a Peach Margarita, you'll need to blend fresh peaches into a smooth puree, then mix in the usual ratios of lime juice, agave nectar (or honey), tequila and orange liqueur.
For a Grapefruit Margarita, on the other hand, a few additional ingredients are called for: the juice of a fresh grapefruit (roughly amounting to 2 tbsp), a rosemary sprig (for the garnish) and 1 tbsp of elderflower liqueur (like St-Germain). You mix these in a shaker with 1/4 cup Don Julio Blanco, the juice of 1 lime (1-½ tbsp), a pinch of salt and some ice, then strain it out into a glass.
Last but not the least, mixing a Mango Margarita is as simple as pureeing ripe mango chunks, then shaking it with lime juice, tequila, Cointreau, ice cubes, and serving it in a glass rimmed with sea salt, topped with a bit of soda water.
