CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS
The margarita has climbed the social ladder and now resides in the high-rent district. One reason for the margarita's rise in popularity is that it is an exceptionally versatile recipe. The cocktail lends itself to several methods of preparation, and variations in fruit-flavorings. It blends easily with liqueurs, and marries well with the taste of different types of ingredients. For these reasons, on-premise operators have taken advantage of the margarita's versatility by creating scores of creative variations. It has become popular to promote variations of the margarita as specialties of the house.

Gourmet margaritas best illustrate why leaving well enough alone is not always sound advice. Unraveling the secrets of how these signature margaritas are created is the next step. At the risk of stripping the creative process of its mystery and inspirational genius, there is a formula to engineering a high performance margarita. It involves tweaking one or more of the variables. Learning how these elements affect the dynamics of the finished margarita is at the heart of the creative process.

Don't hesitate, however, to use premium tequilas in margaritas. Committing expensive tequila to a margarita is not sacrilege, it's creative genius. When looking to use a top-shelf tequila choose a recipe that adequately showcases the tequila. The recipe should have few other ingredients that may tend to obscure the enhanced quality of the tequila.

Consider also the technique of splitting the tequila portion in a margarita. The objective is to pair two or more complementary styles of tequila. For example, the ELEGANTE MARGARITA. It's made with equal parts of Sauza's Conmemorativo and Hornitos. The Hornitos Reposado adds complexity and a fresh agave flavor, while the Conmemorativo Añejo contributes a spicy, well-rounded vitality to the margarita. The result is magnificent.

For margarita aficionados, several liqueurs have risen above and beyond the call to duty. Proven margarita performers include the Japanese honeydew liqueur, Midori; the French black raspberry liqueur, Chambord; the Italian almond liqueur, Disaronno Amaretto; and Damiana, a Mexican liqueur made from the damiana plant. Another often relied upon cordial is blue Curaçao, an orange-flavored liqueur slightly sweeter than triple sec and beloved for its luminous blue color.

For those aching to try out their blender, consider the MIDNIGHT MADNESS MARGARITA, a novel swirled-drink made in two parts, one requiring blue Curaçao and the other Chambord. The resulting drink is both delicious and visually striking. Another gourmet margarita worth being seen with is the RASPBERRY TORTE MARGARITA, a blended concoction separated in the middle by a layer of luscious raspberry puree.

Paul Harrington, Wired Magazine's resident alchemist, has popularized two sure-fire classics. Ideally served before dinner, the JASMINE is quite possibly the quintessential aperitif, made with gin, a splash each of Cointreau and Campari, and sweetened lemon juice. Another Harrington original is the PETIT ZINC, a snappy, invigorating cocktail concocted with vodka, Cointreau, sweet vermouth and orange juice.

Two classic cocktails, both with origins in early decades of this century, have once again found the limelight. The MONKEY GLAND—you don't even want to know how it got its name—originated at Harry's Bar in Paris and quickly became haute couture. Here's a cocktail that will wake you up and read your mail. It's made with gin, grenadine, orange juice and a dash or two of Pernod. It's fun to drink and even more amusing to order in public.

Finally, with cognac and cigars leading America's return to elegance, the classic SIDECAR has been rediscovered and restored to its position of preeminence. Born in France during the First World War, the Sidecar is among the most noble of cocktails. The original recipe called for cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice in a sugar rimmed cocktail glass. In later years the drink was adulterated with less expensive brandy and triple sec. Yet, as with most things, the original recipe is unsurpassed.

Drinking patterns are a curious thing. In the greedy '80s, amidst the back-scratching scramble up the economic food chain, harried patrons slammed their shooters in a rush to relax. Times have changed. We're still time-compressed and over-committed, but we've seemingly acclimated. Sipping cocktails is just another sign we Americans are evolving as a species.