Bottom’s Up: It’s National Margarita Day!
By Isabella Cruz
Happy National Margarita Day! Every February 22nd, we celebrate the harmonious combination of tequila, lime, and a salted rim.
Kickstart your weekend with the recipes below, because the only thing better than a margarita, is another margarita! Cheers!
Charles Voudouris, personal chef for Robert Downey, Jr., uses a passion fruit reduction to temper fiery serrano-infused lime juice in his Passionate Serrano.
Passionate Serrano Margarita
by Charles Voudouris / Team Downey / Venice, CA
Ingredients
- 3 oz. Don Julio Silver Blanco Tequila
- 2 oz. Grand Marnier Liqueur (+½ oz.)
- 4 oz. Passion Fruit Reduction*
- ¼ cup Agave Nectar Simple Syrup**
- ¼ cup Serrano-Infused Lime Juice*** (+1 Tbsp)
- Lime-Sea Salt**** Rim
Preparation
- Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake for 30 seconds vigorously.
- Dip the top of glass in serrano-infused lime juice then the sea salt mixture.
- Pour shaker into a tall glass with 1 square ice cube.
- Garnish with 1 tablespoon of chopped serrano chiles on top and half ounce of Grand Marnier floater.
*Passion Fruit Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 cup The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit
- Concentrate, thawed
- 12 oz. Passion Fruit Juice
Preparation
- Place the Passion Fruit Concentrate and juice in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Reduce over medium heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove from heat and place in fridge to chill.
**Agave Nectar Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- ½ cup Agave Nectar, light
- ½ cup Water
- 1 piece Star Anise, toasted
Preparation
- Combine water, agave nectar and toasted star anise.
- Bring to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Let simmer for 15 minutes and remove.
***Serrano Infused Lime Juice
Ingredients
- Juice of 6 Limes
- 4 Serrano Chiles, deseeded and pounded in mortar and pestle
- 2 Mint Sprigs
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
Preparation
- Combine sea salt and zest of 1 lime.
- Juice limes into large bowl and deseed and chop Serrano Chiles.
- Muddle chiles with a mortar and pestle until soft.
- Add lime juice in batches while working into the chile.
- Season with sea salt and mint at end.
Blood Orange Rosemary Margarita offers a seasonal take on the favorite drink holiday with blood-orange rosemary syrup and Grand Marnier.
Photo by Justin McChesney-Wachs
Preparation
- Combine the blood orange concentrate and water in a small saucepan (2 to 1 ratio).
- Add ½ cup sugar, a small pinch of salt, the rosemary sprigs and bring to 180°F on the stove (no higher).
- Chill completely before using in the margarita.
*Blood Orange-Rosemary Syrup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup The Perfect Purée Blood Orange Concentrate, thawed
- ½ cup water
- ½ sugar
- pinch of salt
- 4 rosemary sprigs
Preparation
Mixologist Christina Maffei’s Maffei Margarita puts a tropical spin on the classic with the requisite blanco tequila, lime and Cointreau plus a surprising burst of fresh pineapple purée.
Photo by Sarah Gualtieri
Maffei Margarita
by Mixologist Christina Maffei
Ingredients
- ½ oz. Blanco Tequila
- ¼ oz. Cointreau
- ¾ oz. The Perfect Purée Carmelized Pineapple Concentrate, thawed
- ¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
- ½ oz. Simple Syrup
Preparation
- Shake ingredients with ice and pour into a highball glass rimmed with red salt or sugar.
- Garnish with a lime and serve.
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