Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Margarita Town

The plight of the Margarita may be unequaled in the cocktail world. Only the Old Fashioned rivals it in the injustice typically done to a tasty beverage. At its base, the Margarita is a type of sour, like the Sidecar, a blend of a spirit, lime juice, and a sweetener. But all too often, it's served as if it were some sort of alcoholic smoothie, with sour mix, triple sec, and copious amounts of sugar adulterating an easy drink. (At least we can be glad it's usually corrupted with just one type of fruit, and not the salad that inhabits many Old Fashioneds). It should be made simply, with Cointreau and fresh lime juice if you have it. Sour mix is right out.

I figured a Margarita would be a good chance to experiment with mezcal and hellfire bitters. It turned out well.  I'm not sure the amount of mezcal in here made much of a difference; it seemed overpowered by the lime juice. The hellfire bitters, on the other hand, made an excellent addition. They made the drink a bit spicier, though not overwhelmingly so. If you don't have hellfire bitters, orange bitters would be a good choice. Recipe after the jump.



1.5 oz Tequila
.5 oz Mezcal
dash, Hellfire Bitters
.5 oz Cointreau
juice, half lime

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