12 Ingredients That Will Upgrade Your Margarita
In the world of classic cocktails, few are as instantly recognizable as the margarita. Its classic recipe is simple enough for anyone to mix at home, but it can be as customizable and complex as your heart desires. In fact, it is so accessible that local bars and restaurants often have some sort of happy hour or discount margarita night to keep the tequila flowing. Whether you scope out your favorite flavors when enjoying fajitas and 'ritas with friends, or it's your go-to drink of choice no matter where you are, it's certainly one of the most popular cocktails around.
While nothing beats a well-made classic margarita on the rocks, the drink can also be morphed into a number of different adaptations, flavors, and textures. Surprisingly, there are quite a few mistakes you can make with margaritas when crafting your own at home, but when you keep experimenting and you take your mixology to the next level, you can seriously impress a crowd. We rounded up several tips to churn out a high-quality margarita at your next gathering, or to order the best drink possible from your bartender.
Upgraded tequila
An easy upgrade that doesn't involve searching for new recipes or trying out new flavors is simply swapping out your typical tequila for a higher-shelf variety. Like many other hard liquors, tequila can be bought at many different price points, with some arguing that you can taste a difference between less-expensive brands and their pricier counterparts.
There are many kinds of tequila that work great when making a margarita. The more sophisticated your palate becomes when learning about the classic cocktail, the more you begin to notice how much of an impact tequila has on the final product. And you may find that the tequila you love for margaritas varies significantly from the kind of tequila you prefer as a shot. Whether you choose silver or gold tequila (most opt for silver, or blanco), you want to make sure you're investing in a higher-quality brand to get the most out of your margarita.
Mezcal
Technically, tequila is a sub-liquor of mezcal, in that all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Mezcal includes a broad range of liquors made from agave, while tequila is a specific type of agave-derived liquor. The main difference? The specific type of agave used to make tequila (blue Weber agave), and how the two are produced. Mezcal can only be produced in Mexico and involves roasting the piña, or the heart of the agave plant, in an outdoor dirt- and leaf-encased pit of flaming coals. This process is important because it's what gives mezcal its signature smoky flavor. When tequila is made, though, the piña is steamed in an oven rather than roasted.
You'll almost certainly notice a difference in smokiness if you order a mezcal margarita as opposed to its traditional tequila counterpart. When making one, there's no need to worry about making sure both liquors are represented (unless you want to really give your guests their money's worth in booze). Switching out tequila for mezcal is not for everyone, but if you're really into smoky flavors, this may soon become the only way you want to order your margaritas.
Jalapeños
Margaritas can be ordered in a number of different flavors, but have you ever tried a spicy one? It might seem odd at first to sip on a spicy beverage, but jalapeños can add a unique twist to your marg that could wind up becoming your go-to order whenever you visit the bar. The most basic japaleño margarita recipes involve muddling the jalapeños to infuse as much flavor (and heat) to your drink as possible. Another great thing about jalapeños is that you can add as little or as much spice as you want. If you want something a little milder but enjoy the flavor of jalapeños, only add a small amount to your drink.
You don't need to feel restricted to just jalapeño peppers if you want a spicy margarita. Other peppers do the trick as well, including habañero. You can even make your own spicy tequila with peppers of your choice so you always have the base for any zesty margarita on deck. This can then be easily combined with other favorite flavors.
Tajín
Building a great margarita also means considering what to include as an ingredient outside the drink itself, including what to line the rim of your glass with. Most margaritas come with the rim of the glass coated in salt or sugar to give your beverage an added kick of flavor with each sip. But if you want to elevate your margarita and take it to the next level, consider a Tajín rim instead.
Tajín is a blend of seasonings used in a variety of Mexican dishes, made with a combination of granulated chiles, dehydrated lime, and salt. The flavor profile of Tajín is predominantly tangy and smoky, making it a great option for pairing with a number of dishes aside from margaritas. You can even sprinkle it on top of your favorite fruits and vegetables. That said, margarita aficionados recognize the smoky flavor as the perfect enhancement to any lime-centric cocktail.
Fruit purees
If you're making your first margarita at home, the basic components include tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and simple syrup for sweetness. But if you venture into any of your favorite restaurant chains that serve margaritas, you may notice the drink menu comes with many more flavors to choose from, including blackberry, strawberry, mango, and cherry. The easiest way to simply replicate your favorite restaurant-served flavored 'ritas is with an easy grocery-store find: fruit purees.
If you don't want to labor over juicing fruits individually, purees are a great way to add your favorite flavors without the added prep work. If you want to skip the purees (which may come with added sugars), look for fruit pulps at the store, instead. That way, you can still make tasty drinks like an easy pomegranate margarita, without the concern of artificial ingredients or food colorings finding their way into your cocktail.
Coconut water
Margaritas are popular drinks, but they can creep up pretty high in calorie and sugar counts. This is typically because many flavored margaritas are loaded with syrups and artificial ingredients that make the drinks extra sweet and more like a kid's fruit juice than an adult beverage (but we totally get the affinity for them — they're tasty!).
Skinny margaritas are a popular solution for those looking to enjoy their favorite craft beverage without loading up on extra sugars since they typically omit juices or other sugary ingredients. For a low-calorie way to add more flavor, consider mixing coconut water into your margarita. Not only does coconut water pair nicely with the citrusy flavors of classic margaritas, but it offers a truly refreshing feel, like in this recipe for a cucumber-coconut margarita. Not to mention the fact that coconut water may help keep a hangover at bay if you include it before and after a night of drinking.
Diced fruits
An easy way to upgrade your margarita is to look through your refrigerator and see what fresh fruits you happen to have on hand. There are a seemingly endless number of flavor combinations and customizations you can bring to your drinks by simply adding some extra fruit.
There are a number of fruits that pair surprisingly well with salt like mangos, strawberries, and pineapples, all popular margarita flavors. So, it would only make sense to pair these fruits with a salted rim around your glass. Simply muddle them up and drop them into your margarita. Diced fruit also makes for a nice garnish on your margarita for a pop of color (and a little snack to munch on while you are sipping on your beverage).
Adding fresh fruit to your margarita is also a nifty trick to sneak some healthy foods into your cocktail. Many fruits come packed with important vitamins and nutrients, so going straight to the source bypasses any artificial ingredients you may find in, say, purees or syrups.
Citrus juices
While most fruits provide an easy way to upgrade your margarita, some of the natural flavors found in these fruits lend themselves to pairing with your drink. After all, the signature margarita flavor is lime, so it only makes sense that other citrus juices would make a great substitute or addition to your favorite recipe. Even if you are going in a different direction with your cocktail, adding a splash of citrus can really liven up your drink, such as infusing frozen limeade with your strawberry margarita.
In fact, you likely already have an excellent margarita ingredient in your refrigerator: orange juice. It is a great citrus juice that adds more sweetness to your drink than lime juice. That classic sweet and sour flavor combination is perfect for mixing margaritas, so experiment with different citrus options to see which will be your next go-to party drink to serve to your guests.
Cointreau
Though proportions may vary, the basic building blocks for crafting a margarita include tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and some sort of sweetener like simple syrup, orange liqueur, or agave nectar. If you want to combine triple sec with orange in one fell swoop, look no further than Cointreau. It is an orange-flavored brand of triple sec that many consider a non-negotiable ingredient when crafting the perfect margarita.
In fact, if you don't have Cointreau in your liquor cabinet when mixing up your 'ritas, some connoisseurs (including Jennifer Aniston) may think you've forgotten a key ingredient, as it's often regarded as an essential component of the cocktail. Don't worry, any kind of triple sec works, but if you want to elevate your margarita and give any mixologist a run for their money, then you're wise to become familiar with Cointreau and make sure you have a bottle on deck (especially if margaritas are your go-to party drink at home).
Herbs
When it's time to invite guests over to impress them with your cocktail-mixing skills, an easy but often overlooked group of ingredients to incorporate into your cocktails is herbs. And no, we're not just talking about the fresh mint you keep in supply for your mint juleps. Fresh herbs can elevate any dish, but they are great mix-ins for cocktails, including margaritas. For example, you can easily kick your strawberry margarita up a notch by tossing in some fresh basil. Other great herbs that pair well with cocktails are rosemary, cilantro (especially for those spicy margaritas), tarragon, and if you're feeling really fancy, some lavender.
Your friends will think you really know what you are doing if you upgrade your cocktails with a simple herb garnish, whether it's for looks or seasoning. Either way, the elegance it brings to your favorite drink is a quick and easy way to elevate your margarita.
Beer
Some of the best cocktails rely on mixing different kinds of alcohol to create a unique flavor profile. While some might think beer and tequila are two completely different categories of beverage, they actually come together and create a truly refreshing mixed beverage. After all, tequilas are often associated with drinking on hot summer days, so it only makes sense that beer — another cold and refreshing summer drink — would pair well with a tequila-based margarita.
The most popular example of this pairing, of course, is the CoronaRita — a beer and tequila fusion that comes served with a bottle of Corona flipped upside-down and immersed in the margarita glass so the beer slowly seeps into the cocktail. If you do decide to make a CoronaRita yourself, consider investing in a special drink clip that holds the beer bottle in its position so it won't slip and slide around the glass as you drink it.
Popsicles
Once you get into the world of cocktail garnishes, you may never look at your drinks the same again (and they may even seem incomplete without a little decorative addition to cap them off). And if you ask us, the best cocktail garnishes are bonus snacks. You may be thinking of the larger-than-life Bloody Mary cocktail garnishes that are practically meals in and of themselves, but adding any sort of edible flourish to your beverage does just the trick.
And for those extra hot days, there's no better garnish than a fruity popsicle. Simply grab a popsicle with a complementary flavor profile and dunk it into your margarita before serving it to your guests. It's like a fun play on any garden variety frozen summer cocktail, but instead of blending up a frozen drink, you add the frozen element as a sweet treat. Or, you can even just make frozen margarita popsicles with your favorite flavors, and serve them alone (or in addition to a drinkable margarita) for another refreshing and cold shot of alcohol.