During one of my many sojourns into the restaurant business, I pretended to be a bartender at a rather upscale restaurant. My immediate overseer was Monster. Monster was journeyman wine guy/bartender with roots all the way back to the Zuni Café. In my few short weeks under Monster's tutelage, I learned the glory that can be a Margarita.
To say I did not have any appreciation for a Margarita before Monster showed me the Zuni Café version would be a lie. I grew up on the Jersey shore and, as I have learned is pretty common throughout America, the easiest place to use a fake ID back in high school was the local cantina, so I was pretty much weaned on pitchers of frozen margaritas that were at least 70% sour mix.
As I mature, I tend to prefer drier drinks, and the margaritas in a fish bowl, out of a slushie machine, and other versions served at most restaurants, are predominantly comprised of sweet crap (be it Rose's lime juice, simple syrup, sour mix, or the bartender's secret touch of OJ or Grand Marnier). So, before meeting Monster I had just decided Margaritas weren't my thing.
When Monster first asked me to make a Margarita, I did so as had been done for me thousands of times, as I believed it should be. I juiced half a lime and added a shot of simple syrup, since we didn't have sour mix (we were a fancy place after all). Then I poured a healthy dose of Tequila in a shaker, with a less healthy pour of Cointreau, shook it and poured it into a chilled up-glass with a salted rim.
Monster corrected this into a recipe I now not only make for friends but very much enjoy out, especially as spring springs. Like most genius things, it is simple and it is balanced between sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Juice half a lime (a whole one if it is a drier lime) and pour a serious amount of your favorite 100% agave tequila, (the cheap kind, good tequila is for sipping) and a splash of Cointreau into a shaker full of ice. Close the shaker and shake the heck out of it, seriously as hard as you can for as long as 30 seconds. You will know you have done it right when your fingers get lightly stuck to the metal cup. Then, either pour this over fresh ice or into a chilled up-glass rimmed with kosher salt.
You should use Cointreau for the splash, the tequila has to be 100% agave, and you absolutely positively must use freshly squeezed lime juice. Monster likes up, I like rocks, either way as the weather warms this is a great cocktail. Don't let the fact that most are mediocre keep you from loving a classic drink.
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