How to Make The Perfect Margarita
Prep time: 3 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 2 oz blanco tequila (100% agave — see notes)
- 1 oz fresh lime juice (about 2 limes — never bottled)
- 3/4 oz triple sec or Cointreau
- 1/4 oz agave syrup (optional, adjust to taste)
- 1 lime wedge (for rimming and garnish)
- Salt for the rim (optional, but I usually get a marg just for the salted rim.)
Instructions
1. Salt the rim — Run a lime wedge around the outer edge of a rocks glass or coupe. Dip the rim into a plate of kosher salt at a slight angle. I recommend that you coat only half the rim so every sip is the drinker’s choice, but you can go full 360 degrees if you’re like me and love the salt.
2. Load the shaker — Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and agave syrup if using.
3. Shake hard — Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. A margarita is one of the few cocktails that genuinely benefits from an aggressive shake. You want it cold and slightly diluted.
4. Strain and serve — For rocks: fill your rimmed glass with fresh ice and strain over it. For up: strain into a chilled coupe with no ice. Both are correct, it’s a matter of preference.
5. Garnish — Perch the spent lime wedge on the rim or add a fresh lime wheel. Simple is best!
Notes
Tequila: 100% agave is non-negotiable: anything labeled “mixto” uses added sugars and will produce a worse drink. Blanco tequila (unaged) keeps it clean, grassy, and bright. Reposado works beautifully if you want a warmer, slightly oaky twist.
Lime juice: Squeeze it fresh, every time. Bottled lime juice is flat and bitter in a way no amount of good tequila can fix. Roll the limes on the counter before cutting to get more juice per lime.
Sweetness balance: The 2:1:0.75 ratio is the classic dry margarita, tart-forward and spirit-led. If your limes are particularly sharp, 1/4 oz of agave syrup brings it into balance without making it sweet. Taste before you pour.
Salt: Kosher salt over table salt, coarser texture, better cling, less sharp on the palate. Tajín is a great alternative for a chili-lime kick.
Cointreau vs. triple sec: Cointreau is worth the extra cost. It’s cleaner and less cloying than most generic triple secs, and in a three-ingredient drink, every ingredient counts.