Big-Batch Margarita Pitcher with Fresh Lime and Agave

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A pitcher margarita built like a bartender would build it: hand-juiced limes, blanco tequila, real orange liqueur, and a measured splash of water so the batch is pre-diluted and tastes exactly like a properly shaken drink the moment it hits ice. Everything is mixed and chilled hours ahead, so all you do at party time is rim the glasses with lime salt and pour. Makes eight generous drinks from one pitcher.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup light agave nectar
• 1/4 cup water

• 10 limes (for 1 cup fresh juice, plus peels for the salt)
• 2 cups blanco tequila (100% agave)
• 3/4 cup Cointreau or other dry orange liqueur
• 1/2 cup agave syrup (from above)
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 2 dashes orange bitters (optional)

• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon chile powder, such as ancho or Tajín-style (optional)
• peel from 2 limes, removed in wide strips

• 3 lbs ice cubes
• 2 limes, cut into wheels or wedges

Instructions

1. Make the agave syrup: combine the agave nectar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking, just until it thins and looks uniform — do not boil. Cool to room temperature. You should have about 1/2 cup plus a little extra.
2. Make the lime salt: with a vegetable peeler, remove wide strips of zest from 2 limes, avoiding the white pith. Spread the peels on a plate and let them air-dry for 30 minutes (or microwave between two paper towels in 20-second bursts, about 1 minute total, until brittle). Crumble the dried peel into a mortar or a zip-top bag with the kosher salt, sugar, and chile powder if using, then crush with a pestle or rolling pin until the peel is in fine flecks. Spread on a small plate and set aside.
3. Juice the limes: roll each lime firmly on the counter, halve, and squeeze — you want exactly 1 cup (8 oz) of fresh juice, which usually takes 8 to 10 limes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to catch pulp and seeds. Do not juice more than about 4 hours before serving; lime juice loses its snap after that.
4. Build the batch: in a 2-quart pitcher, combine the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, 1/2 cup agave syrup, 3/4 cup cold water, and the orange bitters if using. Stir well with a long spoon for 15 seconds.
5. Taste and adjust with a small spoon: if it puckers, add agave syrup 1 teaspoon at a time; if it tastes flat or heavy, add lime juice 1 teaspoon at a time. Aim for tart-forward with a soft sweet finish.
6. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, so the batch pours ice-cold and melts less ice in the glass. Do not add ice to the pitcher — the 3/4 cup of water already accounts for the dilution a shaker would give you.
7. Rim the glasses just before serving: rub a lime wedge around the outer edge of each rocks or coupe glass, then roll the outside of the rim through the lime salt at a 45-degree angle so the salt stays outside the glass. Rim only half of each rim if your guests like a choice.
8. Fill each glass with fresh ice, stir the pitcher once to recombine, and pour about 5 oz (a generous 1/2 cup) per glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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