Happy Hour: It’s National Margarita Day

by Diana Vilibert

It’s true, today is National Margarita Day, and I didn’t just make that up. It’s also Ash Wednesday, so it’s clear what you need to do to stay on God’s good side.

The classic margarita consists of 7 parts tequila, 4 parts orange-flavored liqueur (cointreau or triple sec), and 3 parts lemon or lime juice — but there are plenty of tweaks you can make to shake things up a bit. Like…

Making it a sangria-rita!

(Oh and fun fact: apparently the frozen margarita came about when a genius bartender decided to take a soft-serve ice cream machine and turn it into a margarita mixer. Go hug your favorite bartender today!)

2 oz Camarena Silver Tequila
1 oz orange liqueur
3/4 oz lime juice
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz agave nectar
1 1/2 cup crushed ice
2 oz chilled bottled sangria (i.e. Madria Sangria)
Orange wheel garnish

Directions: Place all ingredients except sangria in blender. Blend until completely smooth. Place in freezer for 2 to 3 hours or overnight to firm. Shake container occasionally so mixture does not separate ingredients while freezing. When ready to serve: in wine goblet or decorative glass, alternately layer frozen tequila mixture with 1/4 to 1/2 measures of chilled sangria. Garnish with orange wheel.

Adding pomegranate juice!

1 1/2 ounces Tequila Don Julio Blanco
2 1/2 ounces pomegranate juice
2 teaspoons fine sugar
1/2 ounce lime juice
Sugar (to rim glass)
1 lime wedge

Directions: Combine Don Julio Blanco, pomegranate juice, fine sugar, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Rim margarita glass with sugar. Strain ingredients into margarita glass. Garnish with lime.

Or fresh fruit!

1 1/2 oz of Camarena Silver Tequila
1 -2 oz fresh raspberries
1/2 oz of agave nectar
1 oz of fresh lime juice
Sprig of mint for garnish

Directions: In a rocks glass muddle raspberries. Add agave nectar, lime juice, and tequila. Fill glass with ice cubes, and use a cocktail stirrer to vigorously stir the cocktail. Garnish with mint sprig and a few raspberries.

Or, screw it, let’s just add some chocolate and marshmallows to this bottle of tequila and call it a s’mores margarita.

1.5 ounces Sauza Silver Tequila
1 ounce chocolate syrup
1 ounce chocolate liqueur
2.5 ounces cream
Mini marshmallows
Ice

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour into glasses and garnish with a skewer of mini marshmallows. If you can resist for a few more minutes, you can also combine chocolate and marshmallows on the stove to make a chocolate-marshmallow sauce to rim the glasses with.

Previously: For Potentially Getting Laid.

Diana Vilibert is a writer living in Brooklyn.

Image courtesy Camarena