Call It ‘Margarita July’ With These Inspired Riffs On The Classic Cocktail

The margarita isn’t simply one of the best tequila cocktails, it’s also one of the best cocktails full stop. Tart without hiding the flavor of the base spirt and often a salty note thanks to the rim — this is a drink that truly speaks to summer. The problem is that as with many cocktails, its invention is shrouded in mystery.

There are disputed stories about who actually invented this refreshing cocktail made up of tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and orange liqueur. Some believe it was first crafted by a bartender named Carlos “Danny” Herrera in the 1930s in Tijuana, Mexico. Others give credit for its creation to a bartender named Francisco “Pancho” Morales. In 1942, while working at a bar called Tommy’s Place in Juárez, Mexico, a guest came in and asked Morales for a “Magnolia” cocktail made with champagne, Cointreau, brandy, and egg yolk. The patron couldn’t remember the recipe but knew there was Cointreau in it and thought there might also be lime. Morales decided to use tequila and a classic cocktail was born.

Maybe…

Regardless of when it was invented and by whom, we look forward to warm weather (or literally any weather) to enjoy this tequila and citrus-filled banger. The best part? When made with the basic recipe, it couldn’t get much simpler than the Margarita. Here’s our own Zach Johnston’s recipe from a few years back:

• 2 oz. reposado tequila (plus a splash from the bottle)
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1oz. orange liqueur
• Pinch of salt (about the size of a lentil between your fingers)
• Lime wheel
• Ice

Preparation:

Add ice to the rocks glass, set it aside. Add tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, salt, and ice to a shaker. Affix the lid to the shaker and shake until the outside of the shaker is ice cold and frosted over. Strain the margarita into the waiting rocks glass over the fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel. Serve.

While we love the classic recipe, we love how versatile this cocktail is. That’s why we decided to highlight some of the most exciting Margarita riffs from some of our favorite bartenders. Keep scrolling to see them all.

Dirty Old Man

By Jeremie Andre owner of Barely Disfigured in Brooklyn, New York

Ingredients:

• .75 oz. blanco tequila
• .75 oz. mezcal
• .75 oz. red chile-infused Aperol (recipe below)
• .75 oz. lime juice
• .75 oz. pineapple juice
• .5 oz. agave
• 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.

Red Chile-Infused Aperol:

Steep 2-3 red chiles into 750 milliliters of Aperol for 24 hours. Strain.

Given the popularity of spicy Margaritas and mezcal, we wanted to create a drink that melds these flavors together in our own way. Aperol plays well with spice and fruit, so incorporating pineapple and red chili allows us to control the spice while referencing the sweetness that triple sec and Grand Marnier typically bring to a classic Margarita. Blending tequila blanco and mezcal incorporates smoke while staying balanced so all of the tasting notes are highlighted with each sip. It’s one of the first recipes I created for the bar and is one of our best sellers. – Jeremie Andre owner of Barely Disfigured in Brooklyn, New York

Mango Petacon

From Grupo Bakan in Miami

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. tequila or mezcal
• 2 oz. fresh mango puree
• 10 mint leaves
• 1 cubed mango as desired
• Tajin, salt, or other preferred garnish as desired
• 3 oz. homemade margarita mix
• -1 oz. lime juice
• – 1 oz. Cointreau
• – .5 oz. simple syrup

Preparation:

For the margarita mix, combine the lime juice, Cointreau, and simple syrup. Stir well and set aside. In a shaker with ice, combine the tequila or mezcal, pureed mangos, and margarita mix and shake well. Rim a glass with tajin, salt, and/or other preferred garnishes. Add ice to the glass and pour in the margarita mixture. Top with fresh cubed mango and mint leaves

Fresh mango is the star of the vibrant Mango Petacon at KoKo and Bakan. The bright yellow drink is as eye-catching as it is delicious, and our guests love snapping photos of it in front of our Instagrammable décor. – Pedro Pozo, beverage director for Grupo Bakan in Miami

Dulce Vida Prickly Pear

By Wyn Vida, beverage director at The Cathedral in Austin, Texas

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Dulce Vida Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz. Lime Juice
• .75 oz Prickly Pear Cordial (even parts Prickly Pear Juice and sugar; heat ingredients on the stove until sugar liquefies)
• Garnishes: Tajin Rim, Cucumber

Preparation:

Using a peeler, make a long cucumber swath and place it along the inside of the glass before placing a large cube inside. Add all ingredients into a shaker tin, fill to the top with ice, and shake for eight seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass over a large format ice cube.

I love a good refreshing cocktail with a tajin rim to add a subtle kick. This one is much less labor-intensive than other drinks and is such a beautiful color for festive drinking. – Wyn Vida, beverage director at The Cathedral in Austin, Texas

The Tzatziki Margarita

From Talya Montauk Restaurant in Montauk, New York

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles Patrón Silver
• 1 bottle Metaxa 7 Stars
• 1 liter Vita Coco Original
• 1 liter cucumber puree
• .5 liter lemon juice
• .5 liter dill & mint syrup
• 100 mL Agave nectar
• 20 grams citric acid

Preparation:

Build, use big rock glass, served as a slushie. Garnished with a rim of tzatziki salt, mint sprigs, and a dehydrated lemon wheel.

Other Preparation:

For dill & mint syrup, parboil fresh dill and mint and infuse in hot 50/50 simple syrup for one hour. For tzatziki salt, use 200 grams of salt mixed with 100 grams of palm coconut sugar, 5 grams of dry dill, 5 grams of dry mint, and two dehydrated lemons.

The restaurant is known for its Greek cuisine and specialty Mediterranean flavors, so I was inspired by tzatziki for this drink. When I think of a warm summer day, I think of a cooling and refreshing desire to be poolside sipping on a summer fave, the margarita. I blended these concepts together into the Tzatziki Margarita. Think of an herbal cucumber slushy with coconut sugar, dehydrated dill, mint, and lime, and Vita Coco coconut water, rimmed with salt. You can only find it at Talya in Montauk. – Thibaut Castet, co-owner of Talya in Montauk, New York

Pina Coco Margarita

By beverage director and head of operations Adam Miller and head bartender Diego Rivera for Rita Cantina in East Hampton, New York

Ingredients (makes 1 pitcher):

• 250 Grams Sugar
• 270 Grams Lime Juice
• 500 Grams Lakewood/Fresh Pineapple
• 800 Grams Toasted Coconut Cazadores
• 1000 Grams Harmless Harvest Coconut Water
• 500 Grams Goya Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except coconut milk on stove, cook until sugar is incorporated. Put in pitcher and add coconut milk and stir. Let sit for two hours. Pour over 200-micron superbag / cheesecloth until curd stabilizes and you are dripping clear. Let gravity do the rest.

Toasted coconut Cazadores ingredients:

• 1000 Grams Cazadores Blanco
• 50 Grams Toasted Coconut Flake

Preparation:

Toast coconut in pan or sheet tray until lightly brown. Combine in a large vacuum bag. Seal. Cook at 145 degrees for two hours. Put in ice bath. Filter through mesh strainer and put in freezer overnight. Strain again through mesh strainer. Ready to use

For three years, Diego Rivera and I experimented to master the Margarita, one of America’s top drinks. Searching in San Juan, PR, we found the best Pina Colada at the Caribe Hilton and combined it with the Margarita for our menu. Despite a divisive lime juice issue in the Pina Colada community, we crafted a. Milk Punch Pina Colada Margarita hybrid, surprisingly delicious, low ABV, shelf-stable, and suitable for big batches. Our clarified Pina Coco Margarita, an ideal summer sip combining two favorites, uses my clarifying technique to make the drink lighter, smoother, and more margarita-like. – Adam Miller, beverage director and head of operations at Rita Cantina

Pepino Margarita

From Yard House Times Square in New York City

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. El Tequileño Reposado Gran Reserva
• .5 oz. Triple Sec
• 1.5 oz. Citrus agave
• .5 oz. Cucumber jalapeño syrup
• Tajin rim
• cucumber slice
• Jalapeño

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a tin and shake. Strain over ice into a rocks glass and garnish.

In developing the Pepino margarita we wanted to explore adding a touch of spice and balance with slightly sweet notes. Knowing how well cucumber and jalapeño go together we knew it would be the perfect combination with El Tequileño Reposado, as the tequila has a touch of vanilla and hints of oak which pair perfectly with sweet, spicy and earthy flavors. This margarita is balanced with just the right amount of heat from the jalapeño, and the refreshing combination of cucumber and extra added agave from our in-house margarita mix makes this a perfect cocktail for any margarita lover! Knowing everyone’s spice tolerance is different, we wanted to allow our guests who need a touch more spice to turn up the heat if they preferred, so we added a spicy Tajin rim. Viva La Rita. – Cindy Busi, VP of Enterprise Beverage & Innovation at Darden Restaurant Group

The People’s Margarita

From R & D Philly in Philadelphia

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Teremana Blanco
• 0.75 oz. Lime Juice
• 0.5 oz. Agave Nectar
• 1 oz. Pineapple Juice (to taste)

Preparation:

Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel, pineapple leaves & sea salt (as desired).

The People’s Margarita is a fun, fresh variation on a Margarita. We use the blueprint of a Tommy’s Margarita—agave syrup, no orange liqueur—because the focus on raw, fresh ingredients not only allows the tequila itself to shine through, but it also better aligns the cocktail with the trend toward conscientious and responsible drinking. The addition of pineapple juice adds a touch of natural sweetness and makes you feel like you have your toes in the sand without having to leave your barstool. – Resa Mueller, Bartender at R&D Philly

The Novelist

From Apéritif Bar at Viceroy Bali

Ingredients:

30 ml. Herradura Plata
10 ml. Machetazo Mezcal
7.5 ml. Blu Carcao Massenez
7.5 ml. Monin Osmanthus
22.5 ml. Mango Turmeric Betel Leaf Cordial
15 ml. Passion Fruit Puree
4 dashes Aji Limo Tincture

Preparation:

Add all ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake thoroughly and strain into a glass. Add four dashes of Aji Limo Tincture.

The Novelist is inspired by Vicki Baum, an Austrian novelist who created a novel based on the history of the royal family and colonization era in Bali named, “Loved and Death in Bali.” The base of this cocktail is tequila and mezcal. We mixed it with one of the oldest concoctions of Jamu, which has been a drink since the Ancient era, and is a mix of coconut water, betel leaf and turmeric. Passion fruit and Mango give it a fruit flavor while the Aji Limo brings heat to the cocktail, all mixed with blue curacao which turns the cocktail into a deep green color. Topped with a garnish of a peacock feather as a symbol of royalty. – Panji Wisrawan, head mixologist at Apéritif Bar at Viceroy Bali