Milestone mix: Kick-start your next cocktail party with these four Margarita recipes
Born in Mexico in 1948, the original Margarita made with Cointreau is celebrating its 75th anniversary with an exclusive recipe launch and a celebration of the classics
How it started
It’s 1948 and American socialite Margaret 'Margarita’ Sames is holidaying in Acapulco, Mexico.
She’s throwing one of her lavish parties, and figures the crowd would fancy a cocktail of her two favourite spirits: Cointreau and tequila shaken with lime juice for balance and sublimated by a salt rim.
Naturally, it was a crowd-pleaser, and though she didn’t set out to create an iconic recipe, 75 years later the cocktail still bears her name and is still enjoyed around the world.
The Original Margarita
Ingredients
30ml Cointreau L’Unique
50ml blanco tequila
20ml fresh lime juice
1 slice of lime
Method
1. Wet the rim of a Margarita glass with lime juice, then place the glass in a dish with salt to rim the glass
2. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice cubes
3. Shake, strain, and serve into a Margarita glass
4. Garnish with a slice of lime
How it’s going
Today, the original Margarita has experienced countless updates, seasonal twists and ingredient refreshes, but it’s the celebrated Cointreau orange liqueur that acts as a key flavour enhancer to tie each recipe together.
In fact, Cointreau’s recipe repertoire boasts more than 50 twists on the original Margarita. And to celebrate the 75th anniversary of this timeless cocktail, Alfred Cointreau, sixth generation of the Cointreau family, has introduced the Margarita Orange Birthday, a zesty and festive twist on the classic cocktail created for the occasion.
It’s a proud new addition to Maison Cointreau’s recipes, and one that will undoubtedly delight connoisseurs this festive season.
The Orange Birthday Margarita
Ingredients
25ml Cointreau L’Unique
30ml fresh orange juice
60ml bergamot black tea
Orange leaves
Method
1. Cold brew a bergamot black tea bag
2. Combine all ingredients in a Margarita glass filled with ice cubes
3. 4. Stir briefly
4. Garnish with orange leaves
Modern Classics
Looking for more ways to shake up the original Margarita this Christmas? Check out these luxe festive twists for your next cocktail party.
The Christmas Margarita
Ingredients
30ml Cointreau L'Unique
50ml blanco tequila
6 drops aromatic bitters
20ml fresh lime juice
1 rosemary sprig
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add ice
2. Shake and strain into a cinnamon sugar-rimmed coupe glass
3. Garnish with a rosemary sprig
Luxe Margarita
Ingredients
30ml Cointreau L'Unique
50ml reposado tequila
20ml fresh lime juice
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1 rose petal
Telmont champagne to top off
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker
2. Add ice and shake until well-chilled
3. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass
4. Top off with champagne
5. Garnish with a rose petal
Enjoy Cointreau sensibly. For more festive cocktail ideas see cointreau.com
