Whitney Ray :: Recipes :: blood orange margaritas

sometimes two things you love aren't improved by combination (pork chops, chocolate ice cream), but sometimes, the combination is better than the sum of its parts. this cocktail is definitely a case of the latter. thanks to chinatown brasserie and cowgirl in nyc for the inspiration.

Yield: Select
Prep time: Under 15 Minutes
Cook Time: Under 15 Minutes
Course: Beverages

Ingredients:

• premium silver tequila (anejos are too woody)
• orange liqueur (citronge by patron is excellent)
• blood orange juice (grapefruit juice is a good tart substitute)
• ice
• superfine sugar (optional)

Instructions:

the ratio is simple: 2 parts tequila, 2 parts juice, 1 part liqueur. these should be served COLD. either pour the liquids into a large pitcher full of ice and mix well, or use a cocktail shaker full of ice. if you want to go frozen, just use equal parts liquid and ice in your blender so it doesn't get too diluted.

OPTIONAL READING:

if you want it sweeter, you can use a sweeter juice (tangerine for example), or even a fruit juice cocktail such as ocean spray's ruby red. fresh squeezed juices are preferable, unless you have a bottled/cartoned product you're particularly fond of. feel free to do a mix of various citrus: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, tangelo, blood orange: get crazy with the cheez whiz, basically.

in my opinion, the tartness of the juice is key because it balances the bite of the tequila. that said, my preferred sweetening agent for cocktails is a simple syrup. to make the simple syrup, bring a cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan, then add a cup of sugar (again, simple ratio of 1:1) to the boiling water, mix well, and turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear. once cooled, the syrup will keep for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge. if you want to go super crazy, use superfine sugar, and mash it up in a mortar and pestle (or blitz in a food processor!) with some zest from the fruit whose juice you are using. this is totally optional, but it does deepen the flavor of the drink. superfine sugar will dissolve more rapidly as well.

i don't salt my glasses, but i do think it's nice to run a cut fruit around the rim and then turn the glass over onto a plate of the superfine sugar. classy. freshly cut fruit in the glass is always nice too, and if you're a champ and can cut a twist, then that's the winner, as that twist will ooze out all those delicious essential oils.

i gotta stop writing this recipe.