Shaken Fresh-Lime Margarita with a Half-Salted Rim

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The margarita as it should taste: blanco tequila, juice squeezed minutes before serving, real orange liqueur and just enough agave to round the edges. Shaken hard over big ice for a cold, foamy-topped drink, then poured into a glass with only half the rim salted so every sip is your choice. Two drinks in about ten minutes, with a scaled pitcher version for a crowd.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light agave nectar
• 2 tbsp warm water

• 2 tbsp flaky or kosher salt, crushed fine between your fingers
• 1 lime wedge, for wetting the rim
• 2 lime wheels, for garnish

• 4 oz blanco tequila (100% agave)
• 1 1/2 oz orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or triple sec
• 2 oz fresh lime juice (from about 2 large limes)
• 1/2 oz agave syrup (from above), plus more to taste
• 2 cups ice cubes, for shaking
• large ice cubes or a big rock, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the agave syrup: stir 1/4 cup agave nectar with 2 tablespoons warm water in a small jar until completely smooth and pourable, about 30 seconds. It keeps 1 month refrigerated and you'll use it for every future round.
2. Chill two rocks glasses or coupes by filling them with ice and water and setting them aside while you work. A cold glass is the difference between a margarita and a lukewarm one.
3. Salt the rim: pour the crushed salt onto a small plate in an even layer. Run a cut lime wedge around only half of each glass's outer rim, then roll that damp half through the salt at a shallow angle so the salt sits on the outside, not falling into the drink. Tap off any excess and set the glasses aside.
4. Juice the limes right before mixing — roll them firmly on the counter first, then squeeze and measure exactly 2 oz. Strain out the pulp and seeds if you want a cleaner drink; leave the pulp in for a rustier, brighter one.
5. Fill a cocktail shaker with the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and 1/2 oz agave syrup. Taste the mix with a straw before adding ice: it should be sharp but not puckering. Add another 1/4 oz agave if your limes are especially aggressive.
6. Add 2 cups of ice cubes, seal the shaker, and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds — until the outside is painfully cold and frosted over. This chills, dilutes and aerates all at once.
7. Dump the ice and water from the chilled glasses, add one large ice cube to each if serving on the rocks, and double-strain the margarita through the shaker's strainer and a fine-mesh sieve, dividing it evenly between the two glasses.
8. Garnish each with a lime wheel on the salted side and serve immediately, while the foam on top is still there.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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