Marvelous margarita

Today’s margaritas offer many variables starting with the seeminly limitless choices of tequilas. Over the years, I’ve finally begun to understand that there are all types, grades and styles to choose from.

Then one must consider which of the orange-flavored liqueurs you should use: Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier. I’ve even seen recipes that go the entire liqueur gambit including using Midori, and Chambord.

The one ingredient that doesn't seem to share limitless choices is salt. All the margarita recipes I’ve ever seen just recommend a coarse salt or kosher salt. But salts, too, have different tastes and textures and just like in a recipe for a delicious sauce, the taste of the salt can make a difference of how a margarita will taste. The third ingredient, fresh lime juice isn’t even a sacred ingredient, you can have a Strawberry Margarita, Melon Margarita or Mangorita to name of few.

And so I want to introduce you to our new product: Sal de Margarita!

Harvested from the Sea of Cortez, our sea salt has a multi-layered  advantage over other salts for enhancing a margarita. To begin with Sal de Margarita has a crisp salty taste that complements the lime and the tequila ingredients while delivering a light crunch as it is sipped from the glass. Then also the texture of the coarse grains of the crystals make it ideal for crusting the rim of a margarita glass. And what I like a lot about Sal de Mar for a margarita is that after sipping it, it quickly dissolves on the palate. You can find Sal de Margarita online or at our retail stores.

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and I am eager to know what one is your is  your favorite.

DAVID THORN'S CLASSIC MARGARITA
I like this recipe because it isn't the sweet, slushy concoction that some bars serve (and which are not my favorite.) David secrets are: he uses 100% silver agave tequila; Cointreau instead of Triple Sec because even though it is more expensive it has the necessary sweetness but is a more elegant flavor; he uses fresh lime juice instead of the bottled version; the fresh orange juice along with the Grand Marnier temper the sharpness while adding character to its natural flavor; and it is shaken in a cocktail shaker allowing the ice to melt and the right degree of frostiness.

To Prepare: Moisten the rim of a martini glass with the cut lime Spread Sal de Mar on a small plate. Dip the moistened rim of the glass into the salt until evenly crusted

Margarita Mixture:
2 oz. Milagro Silver Tequila (David’s favorite)
2 oz. Cointreau (not Triple Sec)
2 oz. fresh lime juice 1 oz. fresh orange juice

Garnish:
Lime slices
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier

Add margarita mixture to a cocktail shaker.  Add ice and cover. Shake thoroughly to chill the mixture. Strain into into a Sal de Mar crusted glass with or without ice. Garnish with a slice of lime and the splash of Grand Marnier. Makes one cocktail.

MANGO MARGARITA
This recipe is entirely an experiment.  My husband, Phillip and I came up with this version because we wanted a Mango Margarita but couldn't find any recipes that were not a frozen, sickening-sweet concoction. So we used the "Keep It Simple" formula and kept to the basics but used the best ingredients to take it to a different level of a sipping cocktail.
Our formula was:  a good 100% agave reposado tequila;  a high-level orange liqueur;  a fresh mango instead of bottled juice; and Nature's Agave agave nectar instead of sugar water.

To round out our luxe ingredients, we crusted the rim of the cocktail glass with our new product, Sal de Margarita and combined it with mint leaves that we crushed and finely chopped.  It adds even more character to the flavors.   We think it is delicious! Let us know what you think!!

For crusting the rim of glass:
1/2 fresh lime for moistening the rim of glass Sal de Margarita
Crushed and finely chopped mint leaves

Spread Sal de Margarita on a small plate. Add chopped mint leaves (about 4 parts Sal de Margarita to 1 part chopped mint leaves). Moisten the rim of 8-oz martini glass with a cut lime. Dip the rim of each glass in the salt, creating a thin crust over half the rim.  (We liked having just half the glass with salt.  It seems like just the right amount)

For Margarita Mix:
4 oz  tequila, preferably a reposado 100% agave tequila
2 oz.  Patron Orange Liqueur
2 oz. agave nectar
2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 large very, very ripe mango (approximately 4 heaping tablespoons)

Blend the ingredients together in a blender with no ice. Pour mixture into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a prepared 8 oz. martini-style glass.