Tweak Your Margarita by Switching up the Liqueur and Citrus – Info Tips and Tricks

Happy weekend, and welcome back to 3-Ingredient Happy Hour, the weekly drink column featuring super simple yet delicious libations. Today we are going to be playing around with a sweet and tart three-ingredient icon: the margarita.

Though various mid-level chain restaurants would have you believe otherwise, the margarita is a very simple sour consisting of tequila, sweet liqueur (usually orange liqueur), and lime juice. It’s good, and it doesn’t need tweaking, but we’re going to tweak it anyway, because it’s fun and we like to have fun. Using tequila as your base, you can switch up both the sweetener and the citrus, to make a marg with all your favorite flavors. I am still obsessed with the almond dry cherry liqueur known as “maraschino,” so that’s what I used, but you could use banana liqueur, limoncello (pair with lime juice for double citrus action), or even a fruit brandy. For the citrus, lime is never bad, but lemon, Meyer lemon, and grapefruit (when paired with an appropriate liqueur) are all delightful. To make my cherry lemon situation, you will need:

• 1 1/2 ounces tequila
• 1 ounce Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice

Add everything to a shaker filled with ice and shake it up until the shaker becomes too cold to hold. Strain into a coupe glass, or a lowball filled with crushed ice if you’re feeling daring. If you must have salt, forgo a salted rim, and try adding a little bit directly to the drink.