The American Mixologist Online® Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 18 All Rights Reserved
Drinks

Ask your friends and associates what they drink socially and chances are the answer will be "…beer, wine and margaritas." It has become an American success story. 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. It blends easily with liqueurs and marries well with the taste of different types of ingredients.

Aficionados and restaurateurs alike 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. 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 variables. Learning how these elements affect the dynamics of the finished margarita is at the heart of the creative process.

To help make every margarita you serve a work of art, we’ve unraveled the secrets behind the great signature margaritas.

• Featured Performers — Silver tequila is most frequently in a margarita, not because of its lower cost, but for its robust and vibrant character. It adds a vitality to the margarita that the more reserved, aged tequilas don’t quite manage. Don’t hesitate, however, to use premium tequilas in your 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.
  
  
• Combined Effort — 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 is 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.
  
  
• Creative Modifiers — If you’re looking to modify your margaritas with something a little more interesting than triple sec, consider black raspberry Chambord, Tuaca, Midori; Disaronno Amaretto and Agavero, a classy Mexican liqueur made with añejo tequila and the aphrodisiac damiana plant. Another often relied upon modifier is blue Curaçao, an orange-flavored liqueur slightly sweeter than triple sec and beloved for its luminous blue color.
  
  
• Spin Doctors — 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. The TWO-TONED MARGARITA is a delicious and remarkably clever with an added shot of Midori. Blend the drink, and then layer the concoction. Begin by making a Hornitos margarita and pouring half of the drink in a half-filled glass of ice. Pour the remainder of the cocktail into the blender Midori-laced margarita on top of the lighter colored, iced Hornitos margarita. The drink has two distinctly different colored and flavored personalities. The effect is fantastic.
  
  
• Putting on a Game Face — After spending countless hours devising a fabulous signature margarita, do not undermine your efforts by sending it out in public underdressed with an ordinary rim of coarse salt. Embellish your specialties in the style they deserve with designer salts. High fashion has indeed hit the world of margarita salt. Several companies now market margarita salts in festive colors. The colorings used are permanently adhered to the salt so they won’t run or bleed. Another option is dressing your margaritas with flavored salts. Twangarita salts come in three flavors—lemon/lime, pickle, and the tart and spicy chili con limón. They can be used by themselves, blended together, or mixed with your regular margarita salt. For that matter, try mixing some flavored salt with the colored salt.

The recipes below are excerpted from the latest edition of "The Original Guide to Margaritas and Tequila" by Robert Plotkin.

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¡Toma! Margaritas! The Original Guide to Margaritas and Tequila

The margarita's been the most frequently requested cocktail in America for the last five years! So if you haven't heard, you're really out of touch. And to make the best Margaritas, this is all you need. From the traditional to the most creative Margaritas ever concocted, you'll find them all here. Try a chilled libation made with fresh lime juice, or a slushy frozen fruit version, every recipe will make your mouth water until you have a chance to taste it.

~ by Robert Plotkin ~ 108 pages ~ 6" x 9" Item# TMG501 ~ $15.95 ~

Shipped in the US only

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