The margarita is a main character at any cocktail bar, but how do you make one at home? We called on an expert to step us through the essentials, from choosing the right tequila to getting that salt rim just right.
Brett Connell is a former bartender and founder of Cocktail Candy, an Australian brand supplying zero-waste dehydrated garnishes to bars and home mixologists alike. When he isn’t perfecting citrus slices, he’s experimenting with live-fire cooking or tinkering with new cocktail gear.
With so many cocktails easily accessible these days, very few get the call-up as often as the margarita. But every decent or even half-decent bartender knows there’s a fine line between nailing it and failing it.
After shaking, stirring and blending more margaritas than I dare count, these five habits have become non-negotiable when considering my recipe and method.
Adopt them and you’ll never serve a bad one again.
1. Reach for 100 % agave spirit
The heart of a margarita is the tequila, so start with the best you can afford. Try to consider Australian tequila brands if your local has them on the shelf. We all know that to be called tequila, the blend has to have come from Mexico, but there are plenty of Aussie companies making their mark and growing their agave, while still using the traditional methods and ingredients.
A quality blanco or reposado made from 100% blue agave delivers the peppery, grassy backbone a proper margarita deserves, and you’ll find it needs less sugar to tame the beast.
2. Squeeze fresh limes if you can
Pre-bottled mixers are mostly OK for an easy shortcut that helps knock out a quick marg on a Friday night. But squeezing fresh limes will always yield the best result.
I roll my limes on the bench first to loosen the fibres, then aim for a simple 2:1:1 ratio by volume:
- 60 ml tequila
- 30 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 30 ml triple sec (Cointreau is the most popular brand, but any will do)
Start here, sip and tweak in favour of sweet or sour if you feel it’s not quite right. Remember that limes vary in acidity from season to season, so trust your palate over any recipe set in stone.
3. Shake hard with “big rock” ice
Vigorous shaking chills and aerates the mix while controlling dilution. Use the largest cubes that you have on hand. They melt slower, giving you a colder drink without washing out the flavour.
Here is the key: shake until the tin frosts over. Your hands will be cold, but it’s worth it.
4. Double-strain into a frozen glass
Tiny ice shards dilute quickly and cloud the drink. After shaking, pour through both a hawthorn and fine mesh strainer into a glass you’ve chilled in the freezer for at least five minutes. The result is a crystal-clear, velvety margarita that stays cold until the last drop with less watering down.
5. Don’t forget the garnishes
Start with a salted rim. A full salt rim looks pretty, but it forces every sip through salinity. Try using only half the glass by moistening with a lime wedge, dip into flaky salt, and let your guests choose the salted or unsalted side for each mouthful.
Fresh lime garnishes wilt fast and can slip into the drink, over-diluting that hard-won balance of flavour. A dehydrated lime wheel, on the other hand, stays crisp and creates a picture-perfect drink from first to last sip. As well as a gentle citrus aroma. It also means zero waste if you’re preparing a party’s worth of margaritas ahead of time.
Master these five habits and you’ll serve margaritas that punch well above their weight with style. Here’s to drinks worth celebrating. Sip sip hooray!
Top image: Instagram/cocktailcandy_ with Instagram/treehousebyronbay
Do your margs tick all of these boxes? Let us know how you love to mix your favourite sips in the comments below.
