Ingredients
- Lime wedge and salt for rim
- 2 ounces tequila
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce agave
- Ice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lime wedge.
- With the salt on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the salt to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with lime wheel.
Variations and Substitutions
It doesn't matter if you want big lime flavors, or for your lime margarita to skew a little softer, you can make it happen.
- Do you want your lime margarita to be a bit smoother? Opt for añejo. Looking for a smokey margarita? Mezcal will deliver a savory lime margarita.
- Swap in simple syrup or honey instead of agave.
- Add a splash of lime cordial to up those lime flavors.
- Use equal parts lime juice and key lime juice for new depth.
Garnishes
The traditional garnish for a margarita is a salted rim and a lime wheel or wedge. That doesn't work for your lime margarita vision? Not a problem.
- Use sugar instead of salt for a sweeter flavor.
- A tajin rim gives the margarita a spicy twist.
- Consider a dehydrated citrus wheel for a modern look.
- Add a lime ribbon, twist, or peel for extra color, especially with a lemon wheel garnish.
About the Lime Margarita
Lime is a defining flavor of margaritas. However, that measly one ounce, sometimes less, of lime juice can leave much to be desired. Enter the lime margarita to solve all of these problems. When using lime juice, it's best to opt for freshly squeezed lime juice. You can do this by hand, with a mechanical juicer, or manual juicer. But fresh is best.
If you want your lime margarita to have a little bit of a sweeter taste without losing that lime flavor, you can also use lime cordial. Two ounces of lime cordial can be a bit overpowering, so consider using equal parts lime juice and lime cordial so as to avoid making the margarita too cloying.
A Sour Spin
Nothing beats a lime margarita, the lime flavors shining beside the tequila in a most elegant way, turning the expectations of a margarita on its head. Next time you're at the grocery store, grab several extra limes and do the lime margarita right.
