Mel’s Classic Margarita

Is it the salt, the freshly squeezed juice, or the tequila that makes me love you?

There is a lot of folklore about who created the classic margarita. Some say a Mexican restaurant owner threw some lime juice into tequila for a persnickety showgirl around 1938. Others say a Texas socialite named Margaret impressed guests with the new cocktail at a house party in 1948. There are more stories as well. I am not sure we will ever know the truth. The margarita remains as mysterious as tequila, born of the blue agave plant and made only in Mexico.

My husband gets credit for the following recipe (though he named it after me) as he does for all of our cocktails. We used to enjoy this fabulous restaurant in the cutest town just 30 miles from us, but sadly, it closed. We went solely for the margarita and had to replicate it at home. He succeeded 100% and then some. This classic margarita recipe is one of the best you will ever have.

Fair warning: I do not like frozen, slushy margaritas from a machine. I won’t drink a margarita unless it’s the real deal. I didn’t know what a real one was until a few years ago. Ours is a little different with the mixture of orange, lime, and lemon, rather than lime only.

Melissa Nicholson

Mel’s Maragrita

A classic margarita with fresh fruit from oranges, lemons, and limes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 ounces tequila
• 2 ounces triple sec
• 4 ounces juice mixture see premade juice recipe in the notes below
• 2 ounces simple syrup see simple syrup recipe in the notes below

Method

 

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with 3 to 4 ice cubes and shake well.
2. Salt the rim of 2 rocks glasses and add ice.
3. Pour the maragrita over the ice and enjoy!

Notes

For the juice mixture:

Freshly squeezed juice is worth it! We squeeze ours ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. This juicer from Amazon is a lifesaver. 

Squeeze: 2 cups orange juice, 2 cups lime juice, and 1 cup lemon juice. Strain the orange juice and lime juice as you pour them into your container. Store it in the fridge. Fresh juice only lasts a few days — a week if you’re lucky. However, you can freeze it and take it out when ready to use (allow some defrost time). It will separate and need a good shaking when you defrost it. 

Simple Syrup:

We are snobs and don’t like store-bought simple syrup. Honestly, it is silly to buy it when you only need two ingredients to make it: water and sugar. Boil 1 cup of water with one cup of sugar. Once boiling, keep it at a low boil for about one minute, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Allow it to cool, then pour into a glass container. We use a glass bottle designed to hold olive oil. 

It is obviously super helpful to make the juice mixture and simple syrup ahead of time so you can grab it all when margarita mood strikes. 

What to Serve with Mel’s Classic Margarita?

I don’t recommend a margarita on an empty stomach, so grab your favorite chips and salsa or guacamole to accompany it. Of course, tacos or any spicy or Mexican dish are excellent with the sweet and salty margarita.

FAQs

Do I have to use fresh-squeezed juice?

Fresh-squeezed citrus juice tastes best, but I understand that some people find the task tedious. We haven’t tried bottled citrus juices for this margarita recipe, but I am sure it is 100% doable!

What if I don’t have a rocks glass?

You can still enjoy a margarita without a rocks glass. Use any kind of glass, such as a small tumbler.

Which tequila should I use for a classic margarita?

We use whatever we have on hand (Jose Cuervo works fine). Still, there are so many fabulous tequilas, so try anything you want! Stay away from Mezcal, or you will have a smokey margarita.