The Perfect Margarita: 10 Ways to Beat the Heat

By Abby Weingarten for Edible Sarasota
Photo by Jenny Acheson

Salt-rimmed, on the rocks, straight up or frosty—any which way, the margarita is synonymous with Key West coolness and Mexican moods. The libation’s recipe (usually a tequila or wine base, coupled with fruit-flavored liqueurs and citrus juices) is as sultry as its historic saga.

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Some believe mixologist Don Carlos Orozco invented the margarita in the fall of 1941 in Ensenada, Mexico. Legend claims he named it after Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador, who was supposedly the first to sample the concoction. Other storytellers insist that the margarita originated at the Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas, in 1948, when bartender Santos Cruz whipped up the beverage for singer Peggy Lee.

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Then, of course, there is the theory that the margarita is simply a twist on an American Prohibition-era drink called the Daisy (with tequila as a substitute for the original brandy). After all, margarita is the Spanish word for “daisy.” There’s something to ponder as you sip and toast the sunset.

Malinche Perfect
1¾ ounces Don Julio Añejo
¾ ounce Grand Marnier
Splash of lime juice
2 ounces Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix
*Mix, shake and strain
La Malinche Restaurant
40 S Blvd of the Presidents, Sarasota, FL

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Attitude Margarita
3 ounces Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila Gold
¾ ounce Cointreau
Splash of orange juice
Sour mix to fill shaker
Mix, shake, strain and add a floater of Grand Marnier
The Old Salty Dog
1601 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL

Frozen Baitbucket Margarita
1½ ounces Margaritaville Gold Tequila
1 ounce Blue Curaçao
½ ounce Rose’s Lime juice
2 ounces sweet and sour mix
Blend with ½ cup ice
Sharky’s on the Pier
600 Harbor Dr, Venice, FL

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Cazuela
1 shot Cazadorez Tequila Blanco
6 ounces grapefruit soda (poured over ice in a clay pot)
1 lime, orange and grapefruit wedge
Mix, shake and strain
Mi Pueblo
8405 Tuttle Ave, Sarasota, FL

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Tex-Mex Rita
2 ounces Tito’s (kosher and gluten free) Texas Vodka
½ ounce Cointreau
½ lime
1½ inch slice of jalapeño
Juice from a wedge of orange
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Mix, shake and strain

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Pub Margarita
1¾ ounces Patron Tequila
¾ ounce Grand Marnier
4 ounces margarita mix
Mix, shake and strain
Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and Pub
760 Broadway St, Longboat Key, FL

Don Pablo’s Squeezarita
2 ounces Sauza Tequila Gold
½ ounce Cointreau
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup powdered sugar
Mix, shake and strain

Herradura Honky Tonk Margarita
2 ounces Herradura Blanco (silver) Tequila
1 ounce orange liquor (preferably Grand Marnier)
1 ounce fresh orange juice
3 ounces sweet and sour or margarita mix
Mix, shake and strain
Two Senoritas
1355 Main St, Sarasota, FL

Mango Margarita
1 ounce Margaritaville Mango Tequila
½ ounce Cointreau
½ ounce Jack Mango Rum
4 ounces sweet and sour mix
Mix, shake and strain
Daiquiri Deck
5250 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota, FL

Silver Tequila Margarita
2 ounces of Silver Tequila
1 ounce triple sec
4 ounces of margarita mix
Mix, shake and strain