MARGARITA MADNESS

Give yourself the gift of a fun night with a margarita party to start the fun; the flavors can be sweet, sour, or anything in between.

A ‘Blue Margarita’ is quite the delight; it’s made with 1.5 oz. tequila, ½ oz. blue Curacao, 1 tsp. triple sec, 1 oz. lime juice, and a salt-rimmed glass. Shake everything well with ice and strain into the salt-rimmed glass; add a lime wedge for garnish.

A ‘Cadillac Margarita’ is sweet & sour, and just right; it’s made with 1.5 oz. Cuervo 1800 Tequila, ½ oz. Cointreau, ½ oz. Grand Marnier, 2 oz. sweet & sour, and bar salt. Rim a bucket with lime and coat with salt; fill the glass with ice and set aside. In a shaker with ice, combine tequila, Cointreau, and sweet & sour; shake well and strain into the glass. Float the Grand Marnier on top and then garnish with a lime wedge.

For a fun island margarita, try a ‘Catalina Margarita.’ It’s made with 1.5 oz. tequila, 1 oz. peach schnapps, 1 oz. blue Curacao, and 4 oz. sour mix. Shake well with ice and strain into a salt-rimmed glass.

When you’re in the mood for something more luxurious, try a ‘Green Iguana;’ it’s made with 1 ¼ oz. Herradura Silver Tequila, ¾ oz. Midori, and 4 oz. sweet & sour. Fill glass with ice; pour ice into blender, add liquor and sweet & sour mix, and then blend until smooth. Salt the rim of a pilsner glass, pour in blended ingredients, and then garnish with a lemon slice.

For a bit of an interesting margarita process, make a ‘Jamaica Hibiscus Margarita.’ It’s made with 1 shot Tequila Tezon Blanco, 2 oz. chilled/Sweet Agua de Jamaica (2 cups (2 oz. Hibiscus flowers. Bring 6 c. water to a boil, and then add the flowers and the sugar, and stir constantly while it boils for 1 minute. Pour into a noncorrosive bowl and steep for 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a sieve pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. If the flavor is too potent, add water; if too tart, add more sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve) and ¾ cup granulated sugar), 1 oz. simple syrup, and juice from ½ a lime. Add ingredients to iced shaker, shake well, strain into glass, and then garnish with lime wedge.