Classic Margarita

With its salty rim and perfectly balanced sharp sour flavor, I bring you one of my all time favourite cocktails, the classic margarita.

Hey guys, so I have some exciting news for you today…. as you may have guessed from the intro we are getting ourselves our next bottle of alcohol to add to our collection.
TEQUILA!!!
So you can put that bottle of vodka back on the shelf for now as we are going to give the vodka cocktails a wee rest for a while. But don't worry that bottle shall be returning in the near future as our little home bar grows. But for now I am super excited about entering the next stage in this NEW SERIES and sharing with you guys some simple and delicious cocktails using our new bottle of tequila.

My best advise for choosing a bottle of tequila is to not go crazy and buy the most expensive one out there. But I would suggest choosing a bottle that is in the mid range price range, like Jose Cuervo or Sauza rather than getting a brand that sits in the lower range, as it can affect the flavor of the simpler style cocktails. And if you do want something that is above the mid range level then I would suggest Patron, it truly is the “boss” of the tequila world in my eyes.

When it comes to choosing between silver, gold or reposado tequila I would suggest getting the type of tequila that you like best. And if you don't know what you like, then this bit of info may help you decide on what style you may like to purchase.
The silver tequila is not aged making it smooth and pure in taste. The gold tequila is also not aged but has a more mellow and sweeter flavor than the silver due to the addition of caramel flavoring. These are both great options for your everyday cocktails.
Personally I like the reposado, which means rested, as the flavor is slightly more developed due to the ageing process, between 2 and 11 months.
Anejo, which means aged, is also great in the flavor department. It has a woody flavor that happens with the longer ageing process, which is usually between 1-3 years.

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: MARGARITA

So to start this tequila journey off I decided to share with you one of my all time favourite cocktails with you, the margarita. This was the first cocktail that I learnt to make when I started my first job in a cocktail bar. I will never forget the first margarita that I made for a customer by myself….it was of the frozen variety (which I will teach you about later) and it got returned. I was so devastated about my massive fail and it could have all been avoided if I had not made these two mistakes. Firstly I forgot to add the sugar syrup making it unbalanced and sour. And secondly I over filled the glass so all the salt had seeped into the drink. But I learnt my lesson and never made these two mistakes ever again.

And now I must say, no bias at all, that I make stunning margaritas. There are many different variations out there on the recipe, but I think you guys are going to love my version. I use a combination of lemon and lime juice to create an extra depth in flavor, but if you don't have both these citrus fruit on hand you can always use just one or the other.
The secret to making or breaking this simple and classic cocktail is all about the balance between the sweet and sour ingredients. Trust me, there is nothing worse than an overly sour or overly sweet margarita. But by following my foolproof recipe your margaritas will be a hit every time.

You can also have this cocktail two ways, either strained into a margarita glass, perfect for cooler weather conditions. Or over ice in a rocks glass, which keeps the cocktail cooler in the hotter months. Another great way to enjoy this cocktail is to throw everything into a blender with ice and blitz it up into an slushy like form, but this method definitely works better when making more than just one cocktail.

To make this cocktail you are going to need your bottle of tequila and your bottle of Cointreau. You will also need your BOSTON SHAKER, JIGGER, LEMON SQUEEZER, HAWTHORN STRAINER and a margarita or rocks glass. And to rim the glass you will need a plate for the salt.

The first thing is to rim the glass with salt. To do this simple run a wedge of lemon or lime over the rim of the glass and then twist on the plate until the rim is covered in salt. To release any loose salt simply tap on the base of the glass while holding it upside down.
Next using your jigger pour the tequila, Cointreau and sugar syrup into the glass part of your Boston shaker. Now using you lemon squeezer, squeeze the lime and lemon and fill the shaker with ice. Attach the metal part of the Boston shaker on top and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Using the hawthorn strainer strain the liquid into the glass from the metal part of the shaker. Just remember not to over fill the glass; you want to taste the salt rim not let it contaminate the drink itself.

Now all you have to do is sit back, relax and sip away on that salted rimmed glass filled with this perfectly balanced sharp and sour classic margarita.
Until next time, cheers friends.