Cocktail No 53 - Margarita

The most famous cocktail from south of the border, the margarita dates to at least 1924 and was originally tequila and lime juice, it was cointreau's introduction to the United States in 1962, in collaboration with Jose Cuervo's advertising campaign that gave us the margarita we know today.

Wikipedia entry for Margarita

The unique flavours of Tequila dominate this drink. The flavour is beyond description yet we all know immediately what it tastes like. Cut with lemon or lime juice to fire up the taste sensations at the roof of the mouth and the tip of the tongue, with mellow smoothness from the Cointreau as it drips down the back of the throat, whilst the salt just makes you want to drink more, which I am just about to go and mix a second!.

A well deserved classic.

Recipe

1 measure Tequila
1/2 measure Cointreau or Triple Sec
1/2 measure Lemon or Lime juice.

Wet the rim of a cocktail glass with lemon juice and coat with salt. The easiest way for small numbers of glasses is to dip your finger in lemon juice and rub around the rim. Then pour a pinch of salt into the cup of your hand, invert the glass and holding the stem rotate it through the salt. For larger numbers, tip a layer of salt into s saucer or similar and push the glass rim into it.

Add liquids to cocktail shaker and shake on ice. Pour into cocktail glass. Serve.