# Margaritas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 10, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684 "2005-06-10T02:42:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/21 "2005-06-10T15:50:34Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > yeah, it’s odd how no one, anywhere in this thread, broke the drink down into two separate things relating the need for sweetnes to the quality of tequila until you just did it. Sorry **Trunk** , yes, of course you did it. I’m just posting in between working, and should have read your post better. My apologies. Of course, imitation _is_ the sincerest form of flattery, right? I was just tryin’ to call more attention to your idea by stealing, I mean, re-emphasizing it. Yeah, that’s the ticket! ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/22 "2005-06-10T16:05:50Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > yeah, it’s odd how no one, anywhere in this thread, broke the drink down into two separate things relating the need for sweetnes to the quality of tequila until you just did it. Color me a purist, but I don’t consider a Margarita to have any added sugar, or simple syrup, or processed, sweetened lime juice. Now you could mix up some refreshing tequila based cocktails with those, but I wouldn’t really call them a Margarita. Again, I side with Athena. I think we are talking about 2 different drinks here. It’s like those 16oz Margaritas you get at Ruby Tequilas (insert the name of chain Tex-Mex if RT isn’t familiar) for $5.95, or that big ol’ jug of “Margarita Mix” you get at the liquor store. To me that’s like having the chef pop a frozen dinner into the microwave and call it gourmet. He can call it that, but it doesn’t mean I’m buying it. Start out with good ingredients and you won’t need to mask anything. And you won’t drink 16oz of this stuff and walk away, either. And I don’t mean to look down my nose at anybody who enjoys those sweet tequila cocktails, I like them on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/23 "2005-06-10T16:33:01Z")
> [@Duke of Rat](#): > > Color me a purist, but I don’t consider a Margarita to have any added sugar, or simple syrup, or processed, sweetened lime juice. I’m not going to color you a purist unless you show me evidence that your version of the Margarita is the “pure” one. I don’t know either, but I’m not claiming to be a purist. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/24 "2005-06-10T17:22:07Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > It’s very easy to tell the difference between a margarita made with top end liquor versus the standard stuff. You may be able to tell the difference, but I still maintain that it’s a waste of good tequila. I suppose it’s just a clash of philosophy, but my personal drinker’s rules say that premium spirits are meant to be enjoyed on their own and are not to be degraded by using them in mixed drinks. I don’t use good cognac in my brandy Manhattans. I don’t put tonic into my good gin…though I will allow for small amounts of vermouth. Heck, most scotch drinkers I know won’t take it any other way than neat. The same rules apply to tequila. Perhaps it’s also the diminishing returns that prohibit me from putting the expensive stuff in my margaritas. Sure, margaritas with cheap tequila are unsatisfying. A nice mid-range tequila like Sauza Hornitos is a huge improvement though. That’s maybe a $20 bottle, compared to $12 for the cheap stuff. When you talk about putting a $40 tequila into my margarita, sure maybe I can taste some improvement. None that’s worth double my money though. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/25 "2005-06-10T17:43:09Z")
:smack: OK, I missed some of the last exchange while I was writing that. Feel free to ignore as much of it as you see fit. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/26 "2005-06-10T18:08:49Z")
I have to agree with **Athena** and **Duke**. A classic Margarita for me has always been equal thirds of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. No simple syrup, no sour mix, none of that sweet crap. Personally, as much as I like margaritas, I can’t bear the thought of using a $40 or $50 per bottle premium brand in a mixed drink. Those I put aside to sip and savor. It would break my heart to do otherwise. The only time I might use a premium liquor in a mixed drink is the gin & tonic. That’s mainly because I haven’t developed a taste for straight gin (the only spirit that I don’t like drinking straight) and because the tonic water doesn’t quite kill the underlying taste of gin as much as something acid and powerful like lime juice does. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/27 "2005-06-10T18:13:40Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I’m not going to color you a purist unless you show me evidence that your version of the Margarita is the “pure” one. > > I don’t know either, but I’m not claiming to be a purist. There appear to be three possible sources for the original margarita [but none of them involved anything sweet](http://www.nbc4.tv/food/2233778/detail.html) in their ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/28 "2005-06-10T18:51:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There appear to be three possible sources for the original margarita [but none of them involved anything sweet](http://www.nbc4.tv/food/2233778/detail.html) in their ingredients. Yeah, and one of them had Cointreau and one had triple sec and lemon. And the author talks about a touch of sweetness in the first sentence but doesn’t address it further. I don’t know who that writer is, but she sounds like a TV reporter who has read the same google hits I have and doesn’t sound like someone who necessarily knows the difference between “lime juice” and “lime sour”. I think that anything that we’re talking about can rightfully be called a margarita. Given the prevalence of sweet ones and the fuzziness of the origins, I’m reluctant to call anything the “official” margarita, though. We’re just nit-picking, though. Or at least I am. For contrast: Even though you might call _vodka, vermouth and an olive_ or _gin, vermouth, and a pickled onion_ a martini, I think most would agree an “official martini” is gin, vermouth and an olive. I don’t think a “margarita” comes close to such a standard. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/29 "2005-06-10T19:00:56Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > For contrast: Even though you might call _vodka, vermouth and an olive_ or _gin, vermouth, and a pickled onion_ a martini, I think most would agree an “official martini” is gin, vermouth and an olive. I don’t think a “margarita” comes close to such a standard. A “martini” with an onion is a Gibson. If you really want to confuse your bartender, ask for a Cuba Libre without the lime. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/30 "2005-06-10T19:17:43Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I’m not going to color you a purist unless you show me evidence that your version of the Margarita is the “pure” one. > > I don’t know either, but I’m not claiming to be a purist. Fair enough. From [This Site](http://www.texascooking.com/features/aug99margaritas.htm) > [@](#): > > Today, connoisseurs of the drink contend the only “true” Margarita is one made with the four original ingredients (lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur and salt), From [This Site](http://www.drinkboy.com/Cocktails/recipes/Margarita.html) > [@](#): > > A true Margarita is made from three ingredients. Tequila, Cointreau (a Triple Sec), and fresh squeezed Lime Juice. Just looking at the ingredients it clearly falls into the same category of cocktail as the Sidecar, Whiskey Sour, Aviation, and Cosmopolitan. These cocktails are known as “Sours”, and consist of a Spirit, Cordial, and Juice. > [@](#): > > As in all cocktails, I always recommend the use of quality ingredients. For the Tequila I recommend a decent quality silver (or blanco) tequila. This unaged tequila will have a crisp and lively flavor that works well in mixed drinks. Any tequila with “gold” in its name simply means that it has been artificially flavored and colored to make it look and taste like and aged (or Anejo) tequila. My choice for Triple Sec is always Cointreau, and the juice should always be fresh squeezed. As **Ass For A Hat** mentioned, I too use Sauza Hornitos. Just a 100% Blue Agave tequila, not any Anejo or anything that pricey, but not any rot gut, either. **Athena** and I were comparing notes, and I mentioned that since the third weekend in March, my buddies and I have gone through 14 liters of Hornitos, 7 liters of Cointreau, and a few hundred limes (all juiced by me). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/31 "2005-06-10T19:20:58Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Given the prevalence of sweet ones and the fuzziness of the origins, I’m reluctant to call anything the “official” margarita, though. We’re just nit-picking, though. Or at least I am. No, I certainly think all those drinks we’re talking about are margaritas, but the purist’s margarita should consist of the three ingredients I’ve listed. I haven’t been able to find any recipe claiming to be the original margarita that contains syrup. It seems, as close as I can tell, the original margarita consisted of 2 parts tequila, 1 part Cointreau, 1 part lime juice. I like mine with slightly different ratios, but the same ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Elvez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@Elvez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elvez)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/32 "2005-06-10T19:40:02Z")
> [@Ass For A Hat](#): > > If you need margaritas fast… > > 6 oz Mid Grade Tequila > 6 oz Lime-Aid Concentrate > 6 oz Beer > splash Orange Juice > > Try it before judging. It’s a lot better than you might imagine. Also, experiment with the beer. Obviously one that is light in color is best. I’ve found that hefewiezen works well. Ass, I’ve had just about this same recipe on a multi-day river rafting trip and I have to say it’s really damned good. The setting might have had an influence on that, but still, worth trying. We did: one can of frozen Welches lemon lime drink concentrate. that same can filled with tequila one and a half cans of Tecate beer Blended well (with a hand-crank blender) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/33 "2005-06-11T00:36:39Z")
Damn you people! I was craving a margarita since I read this thread this morning, and you forced me to go out and buy tequila and orange liquer just so I could have one! I got a mid-range one of each, I’m too poor to but a $40-$50 bottle of tequila and liquor. But not Jose Cuervo, that’s for sure. I went with a “classical” margarita. One third each of lime juice (fresh squeezed), tequila, and orange liquor. It’s yummy! ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/34 "2005-06-11T01:16:15Z")
We use Tequila Reserva 1800 Silver because it has a pretty bottle. We use blue curacao is because we did not have contreau and it is pretty in the glass with lime juice. We use half curacao and half Agavero because it seems to bring out the Agave flavor in a way that is quite nice, and it has a pretty bottle. We use kosher salt because sea salt is too complicated a flavor that IMHO doesn’t belong in this drink. I make Manhattans with 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch Bourbon or Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon. I make Martinis with Tanq or Tanq Ten. I make brandy crustas with Meukow, because it has a pretty bottle. I do reserve my Spirit of Solomon brandy and single malt scotch for drinking neat. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/35 "2005-06-11T05:03:51Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Yeah, and one of them had Cointreau and one had triple sec and lemon. And the author talks about a touch of sweetness in the first sentence but doesn’t address it further. The sweetness is from the Cointreau. To add more cites for the “only the three ingredients I mentioned” point: [Ted Haigh](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1592530680/qid=1118466252/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-2131911-1063816?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) sez to use equal proportions of tequila, Cointrea, and fresh lime juice. Interestingly, though, he calls for reposado tequila. And [Dale DeGroff](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0609608754/qid=1118466605/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-2131911-1063816?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) calls for 1.5 oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, and 0.75 oz fresh lime juice. For the purists: An interesting variation (yes, I recognize the irony here) is to add a dash of angostura bitters and a dash or two of [orange bitters](http://www.feebrothers.com/Product.asp?Category=5). The two types of bitters are ingredients in the Pegu Club cocktail, which is an old-style cocktail that’s essentially a margarita made with gin instead of tequila. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/36 "2005-06-11T21:51:12Z")
I am sipping a Margarita made with 2 ounces of Tequila, 1 ounce of cointreau, and 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice and a dash of salt. I am sipping it out of a salt rimmed glass and it is garnished with a slice of lime and partly filled with crushed ice. It is quite dreamy. I think I will alter my recipe offered above to replace the blue curacao with cointreau. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/37 "2005-06-11T22:32:38Z")
The formula in my copy of _The Ultimate Book Of Cocktails_ is 1 1/2 measures silver tequila, half a measure of Cointreau, and the juice of a lime. On the other hand, most of the margaritas I’ve consumed have been triple sec, gold tequila, and Margarita mix. Probably because I practically only drink 'ritas when I’m visiting my mother, and that’s the way she and her friends make them. Also, ~$30 bucks for a _small_ bottle of Cointreau is just too steep for me. To me, the real question of the Margarita is: Blended or on the rocks? I almost always order them on the rocks. For one thing, it gets done faster. For another, I know most bartenders hate futzing around with the blender. Finally, you avoid the “slurpee headache”. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/38 "2005-06-11T23:23:07Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > To me, the real question of the Margarita is: Blended or on the rocks? We’ve had some disagreements in this thread, but I think there would be unanimity on this question. On the rocks in the true way. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/39 "2005-06-12T03:03:37Z")
Yeah, on the rocks is the way to go. Although, if it’s really a bad margarita, the blended ice kinda makes up for just plain ol’ crappy marg mix and bad tequila. Have I mentioned the worst margarita I’ve ever had? Sprite and tequila. Really. I asked for a marg, and watched the guy make it. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684/40 "2005-06-12T04:40:00Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Have I mentioned the worst margarita I’ve ever had? Sprite and tequila. If you use Squirt instead of Sprite, it helps a lot. Really. During my vacation in Mexico, they made margaritas for our tour group this way. Mainly they were trying to ply us with booze so we’d buy some crap at the gift shops that happened to be on the tour. For a “free” margarita, not all that bad though. They did squeeze some fresh lime juice into it, which probably helped a lot. Regardless, these margaritas were a lot better than the slushees that we got back at the hotel. Actaully, on this trip to Puerto Vallarta, I picked up a couple bottles of tequila from [these guys.](http://www.doncrispintequila.com/homepage.html) Anyone tried it? They had a few flavored varieties that were far too sweet. Their reposado was quite tasty though. It had a nice smokey flavor. It was presented as a mom and pop tequila operation. I’m kind of curious if that’s really the case. Regardless, it’s some tasty tequilla. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/margaritas/307684.md?page=3)