This recipe is comin’ atcha just in time for the 4th of July and what I hope is a long summer of parties that involve margaritas!

Anel is a man who, when he sets his mind to something, always makes it happen. That might be in business, as a father, or in any area of life… Including his cocktail skills apparently!

He has been saying for months that by the summer he wants to make a killer margarita that we can serve for guests and on the nights we BBQ on the weekends.

Well the man didn’t disappoint! He’s been tweaking his recipe and last weekend, in my opinion, he finally nailed it.

Margaritas are all about proportions. The ingredients are simple: Tequila, Triple Cec or Conitreau, lime juice, and agave. But it’s about how much you mix of each ingredient that takes a margarita from ok to great. Let’s talk about each ingreient…

Proportions:
A lot of people say to use the 3-2-1 ratio (three parts tequila, two parts Triple Sec/Cointreau, one part lime juice) but I personally think that’s too strong and also just not good… Maybe I’m crazy, but I like what I like!

Tequila:
We use a silver tequila for margaritas and save our nicer reposados for sipping over ice. My personal favorite is an organic brand called 123 Blanco Tequila, but you could really use whatever you have on hand.

Triple Sec/Cointreau:
There is an age-old debate about whether to use Triple Sec or Cointreau, two different orange liqueurs, in margaritas. We prefer Cointreau because it’s not as sweet, and has a slight bitter edge that I love. Our favorite local Mexican restaurant juices oranges and lemons instead of using either of these options. It’s delish, but who has time for that?!

Lime Juice:
When we buy lime juice pre-juiced, it doesn’t end up tasting the same for some reason. I realize that’s probably psychosomatic, but squeezing fresh limes taste fresher and brighter to me.

Agave:
Whenever we’ve tried to make our favorite cocktail without agave, it is either way too sour or way too strong so, in my opinion, at least a little of this liquid sweetener is necessary for the perfect balance.

Salt Rim: When people order their margs with no salt I’m always baffled. To me the salt makes the drink! To salt the rim, take a lime wedge and run it along the edge of the glass and then dip the glass into a plate of salt. Anel takes his a step further by mixing salt with smoked black pepper. I prefer salt alone but the smokey salt is kind of his thing.

Ice Cube: We recently bought these giant silicone ice cube trays and they really do make a big difference for drinks that you don’t want to get watered down. Plus they look so cool!

Anel’s Killer Margarita:
Warning, it’s strong!

Ingredients:
– 2 oz silver tequila
– 2 oz Cointreau
– 1.5 oz lime juice
– 1 tspn agave nectar
– Salt for the rim (and smokey black pepper if you’re into that)

Directions:
1. Shake all ingredients with ice (not the big cube!) in a shaker until cold.
2. Prepare glass with salt rim and giant ice cube.
3. Pour mixed drink over the ice.
4. Enjoy!
5. Don’t drink and drive!

What’s your secret for a classic margarita?

Photos by Julia Dags.