Cointreau Margarita 3 Ways

The margarita is one of the most popular cocktails today, with the classic recipe clocking in at three ingredients, good quality tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh squeezed lime juice, it is easy to understand why this strong and tart cocktail rose in the ranks to become so popular. Fear not though if you want to add a little something extra to your drink; one can add agave nectar to sweeten it up or jalapeño for a burst of spicy.

Making margaritas used to scare me because I always thought it was so much more complicated than it truly is. Once I learned that the drink could be made with three simple ingredients, it quickly became a staple. Through a little bit of experimentation I was able to diverge from the original recipe with a few mix-ins that provided a punch of flavor infusion when looking to spice it up or round out with sweetness. A salted rim will forever be the classic go-to for a margarita but do not be afraid to try something new. We all know that a sugar rim is a good substitute when looking for that extra sweetness, on the other hand though, tajín is the perfect blend of spices that will delight your tastebuds. Tajín is a unique chili lime seasoning blend made with mild chili peppers, lime and sea salt.

My first true exposure to Cointreau was when I lived in Angers, France. I lived with a host mom while studying at the Université catholique de l'Ouest. My host mom, technically lived in the suburb Saint-Barthelemy-d'Anjou which had so many benefits but for the purpose of this post, we will focus on Cointreau. Cointreau is actually produced in Saint-Barthelemy-d'Anjou and is home to the only distillery for the iconic brand. Made from a precise blend of dried and fresh sweet and bitter orange peels, the triple sec orange liqueur not only has a powerful aroma but an equally crisp, smooth, orange flavor that has made it an icon for apéritifs, digestifs, and cocktails. Surprisingly with all this talk of bright and flavorful oranges, the liqueur actually is colorless but the iconic square burnt orange bottle can be recognized anywhere. If you are ever to find yourself in Angers, I would highly recommend a distillery tour, or better yet if you find your self in France, make it a point to do a day tour of the city of Angers.

What you need

• 2oz Blanco Tequila

• 1oz Cointreau

• 1oz Fresh Lime Juice

Extras

• Kosher salt or Tajín to rim glasses

• Extra lime wheels/wedges for garnish

• Agave nectar to pump up sweetness

• Jalapeños to spice it up

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add ice.

2. Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass.

3. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge.

4. Serve and enjoy!

Extras

1. To sweeten your drink up, simply add as little or as much agave nectar. I typically stick between 1-2 teaspoons if I am in a sweets type of mood.

2. Spice up your life and add that jalapeño! There are a few different approaches you can take here depending on your spice tolerance.

   • Mild: slice the pepper starting at the tip to avoid the pith and add a few slices to your shaker and muddle.

   • Spicy: if looking to really have a kick, slice the pepper towards the stem for a better shot at having a the pith and ribs in the slice. The pith and ribs of a the pepper is where the heat comes from. It is what contains the capsaicin, which is the active component for the spicy pepper

   • I recommend starting off in lower quantities when doing this as every pepper will have different capsaicin levels.

   • Have a few extra slices if you wish to garnish with them as well.