Margarita Makeovers

The Margarita has been the best-selling cocktail in the U.S. for at least a decade, and many bartenders attribute its popularity to its simple and delicious nature. “The Margarita is refreshing, easy, and uncomplicated for the most part—you can easily make it at home with minimal ingredients, but also get one excellently crafted when you go out,” says Janice Bailon, bar manager at Leyenda in Brooklyn, New York. “It’s accessible at many places and feels unpretentious.”

Nicholas Lazaroff, bartender at Amaya Modern Mexican at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, points out that for as long as the Margarita has existed, bartenders have been riffing on the recipe. “As tequila grew in popularity in the U.S. between the 1930s and 1950s, bartenders began crafting countless variations of the classic recipe,” he says. “The Margarita is timeless yet constantly reinvents itself—it’s a canvas that allows for experimentation while staying true to the core essence of the cocktail. Whether simple and elegant or bold and boundary-pushing, the Margarita can adapt, making it just as at-home at a beachside cantina in Tulum, Mexico as it is at a chic cocktail bar in Las Vegas.”

Here are three recipes to explore the many guises of a Margarita.

Lovely Day

By Janice Bailon, bar manager at Leyenda in Brooklyn

• 1½ oz. Teremana blanco (or other blanco)
• ½ oz. Combier rose liqueur
• ½ oz. Luxardo Bitter Bianco liqueur
• ½ oz. lime juice
• ¼ oz. agave syrup
• Rose petals for garnish

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine tequila, liqueurs, lime juice, and agave syrup. Shake and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with rose petals.

Obsidian

By Mariena Mercer Boarini, master mixologist for the Wynn Las Vegas

• 2 oz. Fresno chile-infused Casamigos Reposado (or other reposado; recipe below)
• ¼ oz. Ancho Reyes Verde poblano liqueur
• 1 oz. lime juice
• ½ oz. cucumber juice
• ½ oz. agave nectar
• Tajín-dipped cucumber slice and black sea salt for garnish

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine tequila, liqueur, juices, and agave nectar. Shake and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass rimmed with black sea salt. Garnish with a Tajín-dipped cucumber slice.

Fresno Chile-Infused Reposado

Combine 750-ml. tequila and 2 Fresno chiles (cut into rings, seeds included) in a covered container and infuse for 24 hours. Strain and keep refrigerated. The amount of chiles can be scaled up or down according to heat preference.

Green Margarita

By Jose Maria Donde, beverage manager and head mixologist at The Bedford Stone Street in New York City

• ¾ oz. Lalo blanco (or other blanco tequila)
• ¾ oz. green chartreuse
• 1 oz. Combier orange liqueur
• ¾ oz. lime juice
• Lime wheel and red clay sea salt for garnish

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine tequila, liqueurs, and juice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled speakeasy glass rimmed with red clay sea salt. Garnish with a lime wheel.