February 22 is World Margarita Day and in celebration, we’ve found the recipe for the ultimate classic margarita.
You only need four ingredients to ensure an amazing classic margarita every time: Lime, Cointreau, tequila and salt.
The cocktail’s creator Margarete “Margarita” Sames famously said of her instantly iconic drink: “A margarita without Cointreau is not worth its salt.”
A great margarita should be smooth and perfectly balanced between salty and sweet.
If you shudder, the mix is completely wrong. Be a Karen. Take that thing back.
The Original Margarita Recipe
- 30ml Cointreau
- 30ml Tequila Blanco (Sierra Silver)
- 30ml fresh lime juice
- Ice
- Salt
Need more?
These are the best Australian craft gins
Frenchies restaurant Elanora Review
Margarita method
No matter which glass you choose, you should chill it in the fridge first.
“No point making a cold drink and then putting it in a warm glass,” Josh O’Brien, winner of the La Maison Cointreau competition for Australia and Asia Pacific said.
O’Brien makes a killer margarita. He says the key to that perfect balance is fresh lime.
“Just like cooking, using fresh ingredients is always the best way to get the perfect outcome,” he said.
Squeeze the limes and pour them into a cocktail shaker. Then add 30 ml of Cointreau, 30ml of tequila and the ice.
Shake all these margarita ingredients vigorously together.
Use one wedge of one lime to rub around the rum of your glass. Pour the salt out onto a plate and then take the rubbed rim of the glass and run it over the salt until the edge is coated.
Then grab your cocktail shaker and strain the margarita mixture into the glass.
To finish, the drink is then garnished with a lime wheel.
It really is that easy to make.
More Margaritas
If you think you’ve got the knack, you can try mixing up the fruits and spices to really make it your own.
We asked Cointreau for some tips on different variations to try.
Cointreau Pink Margarita
The pink margarita is a real treat. It uses 20ml of Cointreau, 45ml of tequila, 20ml of fresh lime juice and 10ml of grapefruit soft drink.
The method is exactly the same. Add all the ingredients into a shaker, add ice and shake well. Garnish with a lime leaf or a slice of pink grapefruit.
See how it is done in the video below.
Strawberry and Basil margarita
This margarita recipe is incredibly refreshing and just as easy to make at home.
Ingredients:
20ml Cointreau
45 Sierra Silver tequila
20ml fresh lime juice
2 strawberries
1 basil leaf.
Muddle (or smash or squash) the strawberries and the basil in a shaker. Add the Cointreau, tequila and lime and shake away.
