Finding the Perfect Margarita
Finding the Perfect Margarita
The perfect cocktail for fun, the margarita can take on many personalities. With Cinco de Mayo and summer vacation right around the corner, you’re going to want a cool relaxing drink to take some of the heat off -- that drink is the margarita. Unlike what you may have been led to believe a good margarita isn’t made by mixing tequila with a bucket of neon liquid, but they are almost as simple. The Holy Trinity A good margarita is as simple as 1-2-3, limes, liquor and salt and if you’re using all quality ingredients the experimentation process for ratios is a winning one (although the recipe you’ll find below is a good place to start). Limes Fresh lime juice is essential as the acidity helps to balance out the flavor of the drink. The lime can also be later used to rim the glass with salt. If you want to go a step beyond limes to add a bit more sweetness, homemade sour mix is the answer. It can be made by making a simple syrup (heating sugar in water at a 1:1 ratio) and mixing citrus juices (traditionally lime and lemon, but don’t be afraid to experiment). Liquor For a classic margarita you will need two types of liquor - tequila and triple sec. In terms of tequila you’re going to want to find one that is “100% de agave” because anything less is mixed with fermented sugar cane and other poor quality substitute alcohols. Keep in mind also that tequilas can range in flavor, so even with a classic margarita there is still a lot of flavor elements to play around with. Salt Some people like salt on the rim of their margaritas, others choose to do without, but the salt is a necessary flavor to the margarita as it heightens the drinks flavor by toning down the acidity of the lime and instead bringing to the fore front its sweetness. To convert non-believers try only salting half of the cocktail glass so that the drinker can test the flavor for either side. The Recipe With these three elements in mind, I went in search of the perfect margarita for Cinco de Mayo and found not only that but a lot more at Rocco’s Tacos, a bar famous for over 250 varieties of tequila and a delicious homemade sour mix. Rocco’s flagship restaurant in in West Palm Beach, Florida, but can be found on the east coast with locations ranging from Boca to Brooklyn. Although they offer a wide variety of margaritas and tequila pairings one of their most popular margaritas (and my personal favorite) is their classic margarita: Rocco's Tacos Margarita 2.5oz Milagro silver Tequila 1.5 oz Triple Sec 4 oz Fresh Sour Mix 1. Rub half a lime around the rim of a glass, turn over and dip rim of glass into a small plate of salt. 2. In a cocktail mixer combine, ice and liquid ingredients. Shake and pour into glass (some people may prefer the blender method, but I find the ice and cold takes away from a lot of the flavor) 3. Garnish with extra lime slice. Enjoy. ----- For more information on Rocco’s Tacos and their upcoming Cinco de Mayo Specials, visit Roccostacos.com Also be sure to follow Find Rentals on Facebook to post your favorite margarita recipes from around the globe and like us for regular blog updates.