Summer Cocktails: Classic Margarita

The tasty combination of salty and sour come together and the sweetness of  sugar and tequila make for a real summer favorite when combined in a classic margarita.

What we'd really prefer is to know what YOU love to drink in the summer. Send your favorite cocktail recipes to mariella.savidge@patch.com and we'll feature them in the weeks to come!

Sure, salt's not good for you, but some people, myself included, like it anyway. And is it wrong of me to sip all the way around the glass to get every last grain of salt?

But I never really knew how to make one, but the folks at epicurious.com very kindly listed this among their favorites so here goes:

Classic Margarita

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 wedge lime
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) fresh lime juice
• 2 heaping teaspoons superfine sugar
• 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) Cointreau or other triple sec orange liqueur
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) reposado tequila
• About 2 cups ice cubes

Preparation

Spread salt on small plate. Rub lime wedge halfway around rim of 10-ounce glass (such as double old-fashioned). Dip moistened side of glass in salt to lightly coat. Set aside.

In cocktail shaker, stir together lime juice and sugar until sugar partially dissolves (about 5 seconds). Add Cointreau, tequila, and 1 cup ice cubes. Shake vigorously for 25 seconds, then strain into prepared glass. Fill glass with remaining ice cubes.

Source: www.epicurious.com