Classic Margarita Recipe

Tequila, orange liqueur, lime: The perfect margarita is all about fresh, crisp flavors. While this cocktail has suffered years of abuse thanks to low-quality sour mixes, one sip of this classic version makes it clear it's a classic for a reason. And honestly, it's so easy to whip up with just those three ingredients (plus the salt), there's absolutely no reason to reach for bottled mix ever. This recipe, which we created by testing the most popular ratios, is the one we reach for.

As always with such simple preparations, the quality of ingredients matter. The lime juice needs to be fresh; the tequila, while no need for it to be from the tippy toppest shelf, should be of good quality so that it's smooth, not harsh; and the triple sec should be balanced and smooth—Cointreau is the traditional choice, and a good one.

According to cocktail historians, the origins of the margarita are hard to pin down. David Wondrich, in both Imbibe! and The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (the latter co-authored with Noah Rothbaum), works through the various claims of creation without landing on a winning theory. What does seem clear is that the margarita is a descendant and relative of the daisy and the sidecar ("margarita," for what it's worth, is Spanish for "daisy"). In effect, a margarita replaces a sidecar's brandy with tequila and lemon juice with lime, and then adds the salt for good measure.

It's worth adding that, for all our adherence to this classic version, we're still also big fans of a good old frozen margarita.