Seasonal & Holidays
Why Be Ordinary? These National Margarita Day Recipes Are Offbeat (And A Little Decedent).
Plan now: These inspired cocktails with ginger, jalapeño peppers, hibiscus, lavender and even avocado kick it on National Margarita Day.
ACROSS AMERICA — If you consider yourself not just a margarita fan but an aficionado, you’re probably ready for National Margarita Day on Tuesday, Feb 22, with a liquor cabinet stocked with tequila — the good stuff you have to ask the clerk behind the counter to unlock and fetch for you.
You should know that National Margarita Day is a 100 percent made-up holiday brought to you by Todd McCalla, who says on his website the idea is to “celebrate the margarita, plain and simple.” (The idea is also to promote Margarita Man frozen drinks and dangle the names of a slew of national news and lifestyle news outlets.)
But why limit yourself to traditional margs made with tequila, triple sec and lime juice?
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We searched the interwebs to find some variations you may not have considered. These tequila or mezcal-based drinks are often thought of as warm season libations, but we’re starting this curated list with a couple to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night — or day.
After all, it’s noon 5 o’clock somewhere.
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What you’ll need: gold tequila, pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, gold tequila, orange liqueur (top-shelf brands such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier, or triple sec), lime juice and coarse sea salt.
Why you should try it: “Winter Margarita is a great cocktail to enjoy in the winter months and any other time of the year,” according to the Will Cook For Smiles website, noting “it’s a great cocktail for festive holiday parties or just because!”
What you’ll need: coconut milk, fresh lime juice, rosemary simple syrup, tequila (unspecified brand), orange liqueur, sea salt and candied rosemary sprigs (optional, but a nice wintry touch).
Why you should try it: “Nothing gets you through the cold night like a seasonal cocktail by the fire,” according to the Burrata and Bubbles food and drink site.
What you’ll need: fresh ginger, fresh mint leaves, silver tequila (brand not specified), Grand Marnier liqueur, lime juice and ginger beer.
Why you should try it: “Of all the good reasons to make a from-scratch margarita, flavor is foremost,” says the diva of domesticity, Martha Stewart, who developed the recipe.
What you’ll need: mezcal (brand not specified), limes, orange zest, orange bitters, Pellegrino orange soda, granulated sugar.
Why you should try it: It’s the “perfect balance of smoky mezcal and [the] bubbly effervescence of orange soda,” according to the Hola Jalapeño food site.
What you’ll need: hibiscus syrup (made a week ahead using water sugar, a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger, cloves, lime juice and dried hibiscus blossoms); blanco (silver) tequila, orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or triple sec) and limes.
Why you should try it: Sometimes it’s fun to “go a little more new school and throw in some interesting flavors,” according to the Crumb food blog, which notes the hibiscus blossoms give this cocktail a brilliant pink color and tangy flavor.
What you’ll need: tequila (brand not specified), Cointreau L'Unique liqueur, limes, avocado, cilantro, habañero pepper and chili salt.
Why you should try it: This recipe from La Oficina Latina in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood has many of Mexico’s flavors all in one glass.
What you’ll need: silver tequila (brand not specified), Cointreau L'Unique liqueur, lavender simple syrup, sugar, dried lavender.
Why you should try it: “It seems to me to be the perfect cocktail for lying around in a hammock or on your porch on a warm summer day,” according to the bar accessories retailer Home Wet Bar.
What you’ll need: Sauza Blue Silver 100 percent agave silver tequila, tomato sauce, Sriracha sauce, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, paprika, cumin, lemon, cucumber.
Why you should try it: You can have a margarita and a bloody mary at the same time, Glamour points out, adding the cocktail is geared toward those who prefer “savory instead of sweet.”
What you’ll need: tequila (brand not specified), triple sec, limes, apricot puree, jalapeño pepper.
Why you should try it: This recipe from Guy Goldstein at Bustan in New York is refreshing, yet offers an extra edge of spice — especially if the seeds are left in the jalapeño peppers, according to Mix That Drink, which adds, “the apricot also adds something special.”
What you’ll need: fresh rhubarb, fresh raspberries, honey, paleo simple syrup, silver 100 percent agave tequila, limes, fresh mint.
Why you should try it: “The tart sourness of the rhubarb with the sweet floral notes from the raspberries make a wonderful combination,” according to Wicked Spatula, which features paleo recipes.
What you’ll need: blanco (silver) tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, red wine such as cabernet or Carménère.
Why you should try it: It’s sweet and tart at the same time. The Show Me The Yummy website calls it the “perfect drink to serve at your next Halloween party.”
What you’ll need: Cointreau L'Unique clear liqueur, Reposado tequila, fresh lime juice, champagne, Peychaud's Bitters.
Why you should try it: “This margarita is for celebrating the unconventional,” according to Cointreau Distillery. “Those who want to try a different spin on the original margarita should try this. It is sure to surprise and impress your friends."
What you’ll need: tequila (brand not specified), jalapeño peppers, coarse sugar, ruby red grapefruit juice, simple syrup.
Why you should try it: A Taste of Home reader gave the recipe a five-star review: “Oooh so delicious, Jalapeño and grapefruit are a beautiful pair.”
Cheers! And happy National Margarita Day.
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