Thursday, February 19, 2015

Celebrate National Margarita Day February 22nd

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I have to begin by confessing to a bit of confusion.  My calendar lists National Margarita Day as February 20th, but most sites, including Food.com, list it as being on the 22nd.   I'd assumed my
Margarita at Pepper's Mexican Grill
Subject: Margarita at Pepper's Mexican Grill | Date: Summer 2014 |
Photographers: James Kiester & Dani Cogswell | This picture was taken by the author of this blog. |

calendar was a misprint until this morning's local news said it was on the 20th.  At this point I don't know which date to believe, so I'll be doing some drinking on both days.  Yet, for the purposes of this blog I'm calling it the 22nd, simply because that's how the majority of web sites list it.

Whenever you choose to honor the classic mixture of; tequila, triple sec, and lime juice; the fact remains that it's delicious.  Named for actress Marjorie King, or Dallas socialite Margarita Sames, the drink holds a secure spot as one of my three "go to cocktails."  The Dirty Vodka Martini is my dry cocktail, the Bloody Mary is my spicy cocktail, and when I want a sweet cocktail I partake of a Margarita.

Now, there are almost as many flavors of Margarita as there are kinds of soup.  However, when I say, "Margarita," I mean a glass of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice on the rocks with salt on the rim of the glass (see recipe below).  I don't need strawberries, raspberries cherries, peppers, or anything else masking the tequila and citrus flavors, and I CERTAINLY don't need an alcoholic version of a Slurpee. I want an easily sippable sweet lime drink with a slightly tart note, salty contrast, and a pleasant burn of tequila on the palette.  That's a Margarita to me.

The combination of flavors serves as a balance to spicy dishes, which is why it pairs well with Mexican inspired food.  While less traditional, I've found the Margarita also pairs well with spicy tomato based Italian inspired cuisine.

As I said, I'm a traditional, no frills, Lime Margarita man.  Yet, just in case some readers want to mark the day by experimenting with funky variations, I've posted links below to some of the most interesting recipes on the internet.  Below the links you'll find a printable copy of my recipe for what I consider to be the real thing. 

Happy Drinking!

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Margarita Recipe: 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 ounces tequila (I use Hornitos Plata)
1/2 ounce triple sec
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Salt to rim the glass

Preparation:
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. If desired, salt the rim of a chilled margarita glass. Pour contents, with ice, into the glass.

Recipes print as page 3 for your recipe file or refrigerator.
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