Smokin' Good Margarita
I absolutely love a good margarita. In Texas, these were very easy to come by. In New York, not so much. Mexican food in New York is another story entirely. If you think it’s hard to find a good margarita, it’s even harder to find decent Mexican food. And by decent Mexican food, I mean Tex-Mex. New York just doesn’t get it.
Certain that I will find a close substitute one day, I have tried just about every Mexican restaurant in New York. Locals love to point out that such and such place is the best or that this one is really, really good. And yes, the food is decent and probably even good by Mexican food standards, but it is a far cry from Tex-Mex.
We recently ate at Sueños on 17th Street in New York and have been back several times, so that says something. However, I find myself returning there not so much for the food, which I like a lot, but for their sublime smoky margarita. We like these so much that we have taken to making them at home whenever we can.
The key ingredient in this margarita is Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal. A distilled alcoholic beverage made from the agave plant and bottled in Oaxaca, Mexico, this particular mezcal has a distinct smokiness to it. A tablespoon or so floated on top of your margarita takes it to another place, a place of smoky wonderful-ness.
Smokin’ Good Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz. quality, good silver tequila (Herradura is nice)
1 oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
Instructions:
First, prepare your glasses. I pour a 4 inch circle of kosher salt on a plate, run an open lime around the rim of the glass and then dip the rim of the glass in the salt. Let it dry for a minute or two. Be careful when adding ice to the glass – you don’t want to knock the salt off the rim.
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice, shake and strain into your prepared glass. Then, pour a tablespoon or so of the Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal over the top. Finally, garnish with a lime, serve, and let the Margarita Madness begin!
First off, that is one of the only enchanting dark lighting photos I’ve seen for a while. Second, I now want a margarita and it’s just 10 o’clock in the morning…
What time is cocktail hour?
Those look very refreshing! Thanks for the recipe and congrats on Top 9!
Good concept on your blog. We should all make more cocktails! Right now I would die for a margarita.
Have you tried Vera Cruz in Williamsburg — I haven’t been since it reopened — But it used to be the best best best tex mex. AND great margaritas too — If you go you HAVE TO try the Elote A La Mexicana — grilled corn on the cobb topped with mayonnaise & queso cotija. SO GOOD!!
No, I have not tried Vera Cruz. But with a description like that I will have to. Thanks for the suggestion!
I hear ya. I’m from San Diego and moved to New York and went through a 5 year drought of good margaritas and good Mexican food. Never found the Holy Mecca of Mexican food, either, so I wish you the best of luck in your search. This recipe looks like a fantastic substitute, and I will be trying it asap. Cheers!
I’ve had these margarita’s prepared for me by the chef. They are lip smacking good and leave you wanting more. Cheers!
Your margarita looks so refreshing. Haven’t try making one myself, but I’ll try it one of these days. Thanks for the recipe.
My pleasure!