There’s no excuse for a bad margarita. Essentially a sour, this three (sometimes four) ingredient drink is as simple as it gets. Spirit (tequila), sweet (orange liqueur) and sour (fresh lime!). That’s it. If you want to play around with different flavor additions, garnishes, salt or no salt, have at it! But just make sure you’re using the best ingredients you can.
In honor of Cinco de Mayo (coming up in a few days!) our friends over at Cointreau want you to help them encourage this most righteous of endeavors: Making better margaritas. Starting May 5, Cointreau is holding their Lime of Credit Sweepstakes, giving all you margarita lovers our there the chance to win up $500 to invest in making better ‘ritas. Isn’t that nice of them?
By May 5, fill out the online application (if you’re 21 years old or over, that is), link them to your Venmo account (or use their link to create one) and on May 6 check your account to see if and what you won. And if you don’t win? Well, make this lovely Spicy Margarita (you can find decent tequila and lovely Cointreau pretty much anywhere, but for the latter hit up Manikas’s Liquor Store on Shelter Island, Long Wharf Wines & Spirits in Sag Harbor, Springs Wines & Liquors in East Hampton — or just type your zip code into their handy-dandy Cointreau locator for the closest shop) and you’ll feel better in no time.
The Spicy Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz blanco tequila (100% blue agave, always!)
- 1 oz Cointreau liqueur
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- course sea salt, for the rim (if desired)
- 2 slices jalapeño
Directions
- In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine all liquid ingredients.
- Shake until well-chilled, 10-15 seconds.
- Using one of the squeezed out lime pieces, use the inside to wet the rim of a double rocks glass.
- Put salt in a small, flat dish. Dip the glass's rim into it.
- Fill the glass with ice and strain the cocktail over it.
- Garnish with the jalapeño peppers. Cheers and good luck!
