With Cinco de Mayo quickly approaching, I want to share with you my favorite home-made cocktail – the margarita! I did not even know I liked margaritas, until I had a home-made version with fresh lime juice and good tequila. Now, I love them! There is not a more refreshing cocktail when you make it this way. Even if you don’t think you are a fan, you should give this a try! We’ve had 80 degrees weather in Manhattan Beach the last few days, so we’ve been making them all weekend…

I think the secret is using fresh, juicy limes and good quality tequila. I like using the 1800 tequila pictured below. Both of these make a big difference, since they are 2 of the main ingredients!

Do you have a lime/lemon juicer? I use mine all the time, not just for cocktails, but for cooking too. It makes juicing so much quicker and I think you can get a lot more juice out of the lime.

 If you like a salted rim, here is how to do it. Run one of the cut limes around the lip of the glass. Fill a bowl with Kosher salt. Dip the rim of the glass in the salt until the edges are covered.

 How delicious does this look?? You don’t even have to wait until Cinco de Mayo if you don’t want to…

 

Fresh Margaritas

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 shots tequila (or 2 shots if you like a strong drink!!)
• 1 shot lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 1 shot Triple Sec
• crushed ice (it’s best to buy a bag from the store)
• Kosher salt for rim of glass

Directions:

Salt the rim of your glass using the pictured instructions above.

In a cocktail shaker, combine 1 and a half shots of tequila, 1 shot of lime juice, and 1 shot of Triple Sec. Add one glass full of ice. (You will want to use a different glass without a salted rim to measure the ice. If you try to salt the rim after filling it with ice, the salt with get wet and clump.) Shake it like a Polaroid picture!

Pour into the glass, garnish with a thin slice of lime if you prefer, sip and say “ahhhh”.