A classic margarita is 50ml of 100% agave tequila, 20ml of triple sec and 15ml of fresh lime juice, shaken with ice. For a mango or watermelon version, keep the tequila and lime and swap the sugar and orange liqueur for 20ml of fruit syrup. Add a little extra lime, because fruit syrups are sweeter and need more acid to balance.
Margarita builds by syrup
| Margarita | Tequila | Lime juice | Syrup | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | 50ml | 15ml | 20ml triple sec liqueur | Half salt rim |
| Triple Sec syrup | 50ml | 25ml | 15 to 20ml Triple Sec syrup | Replaces the liqueur and the sugar |
| Mango or watermelon | 50ml | 25ml | 20ml fruit syrup | Optional 10ml Triple Sec syrup |
| Solano’s Peach or Blueberry | 50ml | 25ml | 20ml | Same build, different fruit |
| Frozen, any flavour | 50ml | 25ml | 25ml | 1 cup of ice, blended |
The classic row follows the International Bartenders Association spec. The rest are starting points. Taste, then move the syrup up or down by 5ml. For watermelon, muddle 3 or 4 fresh cubes in the shaker first.
Shaking it
Add everything to a shaker with ice, shake for 12 seconds and strain over fresh ice. For a salt rim, run a lime wedge round half the glass only, so people can choose. Dip the rim in flaky salt, not table salt.
Frozen margaritas need more syrup
Cold dulls how sweet something tastes, so add 5ml more than the shaken version and blend for 20 to 30 seconds until smooth.
50ml of 40% tequila is about 1.6 Australian standard drinks. Orange liqueur adds to that, so check the label.