Celebrating Cinco de Mayo!

May 2, 2016 Cheers No comments

A Good Reason To Drink A Margarita

STORY BY: KRIS BEASLEY

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo and cause for celebration. While many think it is Mexico’s Independence Day, it is actually a celebration to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely vic- tory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

This holiday gives us our inspiration to feature Margarita recipes this month. The margarita cocktail – a famous concoc- tion of tequila, Cointreau or Triple Sec, and lime juice – has been around since the 1940s. Every bartender in the world has put a unique spin on this classic, but no one knows who created the original. Many people claim that they invented the margarita, including a bartender named Willie from Mexico City. He said that in 1934 he created and named the drink for his friend Marguerite Hemery. Another legend is that Carlos “Danny” Herrera developed the drink at his restaurant in

Tijuana in 1938. He invented it for Marjo- rie King, a customer who was allergic to all hard alcohol except tequila, and didn’t like its sour taste. Another story is that the Dallas socialite, Margarita Sames mixed up the drink in 1948 for a house full of guests. One of them was Tommy Hilton who later added the drink to the bar menu at his ho- tels. While the true identity of the tequila master may never be known, the margarita will go down in history as one of the most popular mixed drinks of all time. Whether you like yours on the rocks, salt or no salt, we hope these recipes will help you cele- brate your own Cinco de Mayo!

THE CLASSIC MARGARITA

What you will need:

• 1 cup of tequila
• 3 ounces orange liqueur • 3 ounces fresh lime juice • Yield: 4 Margaritas

Directions: Shake the ingredients with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass with a salted rim. If your mixture is too sweet, add more lime. If it’s too tart, add more agave or orange liqueur.

FROZEN MARGARITA

What you will need:

• 2 quarts ice cubes
•12oz can frozen limeade concentrate • 12 oz tequila
• 1/4 cup Cointreau

Directions: Working in 2 batches, place 1 quart ice cubes in a blender. Add 1/2 can limeade, 6 ounces tequila and 2 tablespoons Cointreau. Blend at highest speed until drink is almost smooth. Pour into a pitcher and repeat with remaining ingredi- ents. Store in the freezer. To salt the

margarita glasses, pour a single layer of salt on a salad plate. Moisten each glass rim with lime; dip each rim in the salt. Pour margaritas into each glass; garnish with lime. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY MARGARITA

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 oz tequila
• 1 oz triple sec
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries • 1 cup ice

Directions: Pour ingrédients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled margarita glass and garnish with a strawberry.

CUCUMBER JALAPENO MARGARITA

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice • 1/2 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier • 1/4 cup simple syrup

• 4 thin slices cucumber
• 1 jalapeño, cut in half lengthwise

Directions: Mix together the lime juice, tequila, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, cucumber and jalapeños in a large pitch- er. Chill for at least 1 hour. The longer the margarita sits, the more the cucum- ber and jalapeño flavors infuse the drink. Serve over ice in a salt-rimmed glass.

PINEAPPLE MARGARITA

What you will need:

• 2 cups lime juice
• 2 cups white tequila
• 2 cups Cointreau
• 2 1/2 cups fresh pineapple juice • Fresh pineapple slices

Directions: Fill a shaker halfway with ice and pour in all the ingredients except the pineapple slice garnish. Shake for about half a minute and pour into eight glasses. Garnish with pineapple slices and serve.

CHOCOLATE MARGARITA

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 oz tequila
• 1 oz Godiva Liqueur
• 3/4 oz cream or half & half
• 1 tablespoon Hershey’s syrup • 2 oz orange juice
• Oreos (for garnish)

Directions: Crush some Oreo cookies and rim a margarita glass with them. Fill a shaker with ice and fill with all the ingredients. Shake and pour into the glass.

MOONSHINE MARGARITA

What you will need:

• 1 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz orange juice
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 ounce Moonshine, any flavor

Directions: Pour the first three list- ed ingredients into a cocktail shak- er and stir. Add the moonshine and fill the shaker with ice. Cover and shake until chilled. Rim a margar- ita glass with lime juice and salt, strain the mixture into it.