Celebrate National Margarita Day with one of these tasty cocktails!
By Nancy West
Whether you like them frozen or on the rocks, it’s always a good time for a margarita. Have a sip while snacking on chips and salsa, noshing on a burrito or munching on some street tacos for a perfect pairing! This year, National Margarita Day is February 22nd. Yes, there’s a holiday to honor this beloved cocktail. Traditionally, margaritas are made with tequila, triple sec and lime juice. But as any visit to your local Mexican restaurant will reveal, they come in all different fruit flavors!
In honor of National Margarita Day, we are sharing margaritas that everyone can enjoy. Whether you want to go the low-key, ready-to-serve route, are looking for a non-alcoholic version of the cocktail, or want a take on the traditional margarita recipe, we have you covered! There are many different ways to celebrate National Margarita Day!
Non-alcoholic:
If you are looking for a non-alcoholic margarita recipe, try The OPTIMIST Piña Margarita. This recipe uses OPTIMIST Smokey, the brand’s beverage that drinks like tequila. OPTIMIST Smokey is made using more than ten different botanicals. Make this cocktail and you’ll enjoy spicy, sweet and smokey flavors that won’t leave you with a hangover, no matter how many of these you drink.
The OPTIMIST Piña Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz OPTIMIST Smokey
2-4 slices of Serrano pepper, seeds removed (or not, if you like the heat)
2 oz Pineapple juice
½ oz Lime juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
Directions:
Muddle serrano in a shaker. Add remaining ingredients and ice, shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice and serve immediately, garnishing with a pineapple wedge and additional serrano coins for extra heat.
Enjoy one of these margaritas on National Margarita Day!
Ready-to-serve:
Batch & Bottle Milagro Margarita
Batch & Bottle are well known for their pre-batched, ready to pour bottled cocktails. The company has added Milagro Margarita to their lineup, just in time for National Margarita Day, . There’s no need to check your supply of your tequila and triple sec. All you have to do is chill the bottle, rim your glass with salt, and pour over ice.
Luis Lopez, Milagro Tequila Ambassador noted, “The Batch & Bottle Milagro Margarita offers bright and vibrant flavors with the exceptionally smooth, agave-forward notes consumers expect from Milagro.” This is a drink that you can sip on now and all summer long! The 375 mL bottle retails for $16.99.
Cayman Jack
Cayman Jack is another read-to-drink spirits brand. Their line of canned margarita drinks come in original margarita flavor, mango, watermelon and strawberry flavors. They sell a variety pack so you can enjoy all four flavors! Open a can of your favorite flavor and you’re ready to celebrate National Margarita Day! You can find Cayman Jack in grocery and convenience stores throughout the country.
Takes on the traditional margarita:
Gran Centenario is a family business that has been making their tequila since 1857 using the same methods incorporated by founder Lázaro Gallardo. The Gran Gran Centenario cocktail recipe below sparked my interest with its interesting fruit combination and the dark red color of the cocktail. This is a sweet and refreshing way to celebrate National Margarita Day!
Gran Centenario Watermelon Grape Margarita
Developed by James Beard Award winning chef Pati Jinich, this recipe is a refreshing twist on the classic cocktail
Ingredients:
1 cup Gran Centenario Plata Tequila
2 cups Frozen Watermelon
2 cups Frozen Red Seedless Grapes
3/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice
1 cup Simple Syrup
1 cup Ice
2 slices Seeded Jalapeño or Serrano Chile (Optional)
Garnish: Lime Wedge and Red Grapes
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with lime wedge and fresh red grapes. Recipe serves 4.
LALO Tequila shared a recipe for a Spicy Cucumber Margarita. The company was founded by friends Eduardo “Lalo” González and David Carballido. Lalo, is the grandson of famous Don Julio, so he just may know a thing or two about tequila. Continuing in his family’s footsteps, he branched out with his own brand, creating a pure blanco tequila. The Spicy Cucumber Margarita below is a sweet and refreshing cocktail with a little heat.
Spicy Cucumber Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz LALO Tequila
2 oz Lime Juice
1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
.5 Small Cucumber
2-4 Slices of Jalapeño
1-2 TBSPS of Agave Syrup
Directions:
Rim edge of glass with lime wedge and dip in Tajín or salt. Add ingredients to blender and strain when smooth. In a cocktail shaker, muddle slices of jalapeño, ice, cocktail mix, and shake until chilled. Strain into glass. Serve with extra lime wedges and garnish with jalapeño slices. Makes one serving.
Dulce Vida tequila is produced in Mexico in the village of San Ignacio Cerro Gordo at Campanario (NOM 1443). The organic tequila is made from Blue Weber Agave plants that take almost eight years to mature. Besides their Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo tequila, the company also makes real fruit infused tequilas in Pineapple Jalapeno, Lime and Grapefruit flavors. The recipe below is the ultimate margarita that uses three different tequilas!
Dulce Vida Ultimate Vida ‘Rita
Ingredients:
.5 oz Dulce Vida Blanco Tequila 80
.5 oz Dulce Vida Pineapple Jalapeno Tequila
.5 oz Dulce Vida Grapefruit 70 Proof Tequila
.5 oz Cointreau Orange Liqueur
2 oz fresh citrus sour
.5 oz Strawberry Reàl
Garnishes: Salt Rim, Orange Wedge, Lime Wedge
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake & strain into a glass with ice. Garnish and enjoy.
dark. Next. February ALDI finds you’ll want to check out this month