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We were out of tequila for the longest time, and that’s about to happen again. We bought this tequila and ventured out to make the best margarita we could find. We bought mixers, even expensive ones, and, while they weren’t bad, we decided we needed to make our own.

What’s the secret to a good margarita? Is it the tequila? Yes. Is it the orange liquor? Yes. Is it the salt? A little bit. Is it the lemon lime mix? Of course.

Best Margarita Recipe starts with good tequila and an orange liqueur.

Tequila: We love Còa de Jima Reposado, good enough to be a sipping tequila, priced low enough to make several batches for parties.

Orange Liqueur: We love Gran Gala, an Italian brandy based triple orange liqueur, which I wrote about here.

We have a friend who hosts the wine tastings at our neighborhood wine and liquor store, and he said “if you want to make the very best margarita, use fresh citrus only, lemons, lime, and orange.

We couldn’t agree more.

I most recently had a very orange-centric margarita at a place called Fisher’s in Orange Beach, Alabama.
It was the best margarita I ever had in a restaurant, as it was topped with a saltwater foam.
They used homemade orange bitters, another ingredient making its way into margaritas lately.

This recipe is very similar (minus the bitters) and sea salt foam. We used fresh squeezes of orange; you could use a splash of orange juice.

The Best Margarita has fresh Citrus and is served on the rocks

We think the best margarita recipe is served on the rocks with big piece of ice, which melts slowly and is poured into a salt rimmed glass.



Below you’ll find the best margarita recipe for one, but in the notes, I’ve made a batch for eight.

You will need a citrus squeezer and  a cocktail shaker.

Taste your margarita and make adjustments. You may want it less sweet, so add sweetener a little at a time. You may want more or less orange, as different orange liqueurs have their own flavor.

I just discovered this citrus peeler which gives you a big sweeping piece of citrus with no pith.

You may also want to try this avocado margarita, and soon I’ll be bringing you a strawberry margarita with homemade strawberry simple syrup.

These would go so well with Doug’s famous guacamole, or our pork carnitas.

So tell me, how do you like your margarita? Do you have a favorite tequila? Follow me on instagram where all my kitchen and dining out pictures appear. I’d love to connect with you.

All Mexican Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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The Best Margarita Recipe

The best margarita recipe made with Gran Gala liqueur and lots of fresh citrus in addition to a good sipping resposado tequila.

Course Cocktails

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Tequila
• 1 ounce Orange Liqueur
• 1 teaspoon simple syrup or agave nectar
• juice of one lime
• juice of half lemon
• 1 squeeze fresh orange or splash orange juice
• salt for rim
• lime for garnish
• 
  Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
• Cocktail Shaker
• Citrus Squeezer
• Citrus Peeler
• Square Ice Cube Tray

Instructions

• Makes one margarita. See notes for making a batch.
• Mix all liquids together in cocktail shaker with ice.
• Use lime wedge to wet rim of glass.
• Salt Glass.
• Pour into glass

Notes

Batch of Margaritas to serve 8

16 ounces tequila (2 cups)
8 ounces orange liqueur (1 cup)
juice of 8 limes
juice of 4 lemons
juice of two oranges (or 1/2 glass orange juice, or more to taste)
3 tablespoons agave nectar or simple syrup

The post The Best Margarita Recipe with Fresh Citrus appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The holiday season started today, and while this is so not like me, our house was fully decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving. This put me in the mood for a cocktail to match my already Christmas mood without being too heavy.

We also think every party should have a signature house cocktail of the moment, which needs to please guests that don’t like a heavy dose of booze and please those who do! I always think of a few of my girlfriends and my husband. If they both like it (having very different tastes) it’s a win for a party. As for me, I want a festive look, and that’s where unsweetened cranberry juice comes in.

Simple Cocktail Recipe for the Holidays with Dixie Vodka

That calls for a vodka cocktail. I was recently sent a bottle of  Dixie Vodka, which had me smiling the minute I opened the package because the inside of the bottle is an artwork display.

Mr. Spinach Tiger is the mixologist around here and he’s really good at it. When I received a bottle of Dixie Vodka in the mail, I asked him to make me a cocktail that had Christmas flavors, although you could make this cocktail for anytime.

Only distributed in the southeast, Dixie Vodka is distilled six times from non-GMO American corn and packaged using 100% American materials. They utilize an innovative process called TerrePURE to strip out additional impurities post-distillation. It makes for a smoother vodka, perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks.

This Holiday Cocktail is Gluten Free

Dixie Vodka is completely gluten free and that is not true of all vodkas. You will need to check for the orange liqueur you use. Grand Marnier says they are gluten free.

It took a few tries to get the balance we were both looking for. We didn’t want the drink too sweet. The vodka doesn’t deserve it, and we like the sweet to be subtle.

We both don’t typically drink juice with our vodka, and this drink had to still have an earthy beat to it and a holiday feel. We added a cinnamon stick and orange to create the perfect holiday cheer.

More Cocktails from Spinach Tiger

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Simple Cocktail Recipe for the Holidays, Dixie Black Pepper Vodka

Cranberry Orange Vodka Cocktail

Course Cocktail

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Dixie Vodka or Vodka of your choice
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup
• 1 ounce unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1/2 ounce orange liqueur prefer Grand Marnier
• Orange Peel
• ice
• Cinnamon stick for garnish
• Cranberries for garnish

Instructions

• Add vodka, simple syrup, cranberry juice, orange liqueur in shaker. Mix well.
• Pour into glass.
• Warm an orange peel with a lighter and put into the drink.
• Add cinnamon stick and cranberries for garnish.

The post Cranberry Orange Vodka Christmas Cocktail appeared first on Spinach Tiger.