What are you drinking this summer?
Other than half my weight in water, my choice is margaritas. Not sweet, not spicy, no salt. Just a plain margarita. If you’ve been looking for the perfect summer drink, try my margarita recipe! It’s a recipe I have been perfecting over the years. A recipe that deems me The Best Margarita Maker… in my family. Here is my step by step.
Ingredients:
- Limes (I’ve found the smaller limes sold by the bag are best. They are juicy and easier to squeeze. BJ’s sells the best bag for your buck.)
- Tequila (I like a nice white/blanco tequila, middle of the road. Milagro or Hornitos are my go-to picks these days.)
- Agave (No sour mix for this girl!)
- Cointreau
- Ice
Instructions:
- Squeeze the limes. Squeeze a lot of limes! You will need to squeeze so many limes, the little cuts on your hands that magically appear will start to sting. About 1/2 cup.
- Fill a shaker with ice.
- Pour in tequila. How much? Give it a good four-count. Not “one Mississippi” slow counting, but a good one, two, three, four.
- Pour in Cointreau. This gets a two-count.
- Agave is next. A quick two-count.
- Put the cover on the shaker and shake. This is where I get creative and do the margarita dance. Cue “Put the Lime in the Coconut,” requested by my 4-year-old.
- Pour the delicious concoction into a glass. Not a margarita glass. A short glass with a wide opening. While testing margaritas over the years, I have found they taste better in this type of glass. Not the tall, hard to carry, extravagant glass.
- Garnish with a lime. No straw.
- Enjoy!
If you aren’t willing to get a little sticky squeezing limes, here is a quick round-up of local places I have found with excellent margaritas. And bonus — they are all kid friendly.
Casa Verde :: J.P.
Casa Verde is a small place in J.P with excellent margaritas and an intimate setting. My choice is the casa margarita, no salt.
Papagayo :: Boston and Somerville
Their downtown location will always be my favorite. Their fresh-squeezed lime juice gives the drink the most perfect consistency and lip-puckering flavor. They have a wonderful spicy margarita that my husband raves about. My pick is the house margarita, no salt.
Temazcal :: Burlington, Dedham, Framingham, Lynnfield, Seaport
I find the Dedham location to be the most kid friendly, but the margaritas at any location are equally delicious. They have a wonderful selection. My choice is the la casita, no salt, high ball glass.
Sophia’s Grotto :: Roslindale
This one is my favorite — mostly because I work there, but also because of a nice variety of margaritas to enjoy on their patio. They do not have margarita glasses, so you can expect to be drinking from a highball glass with a straw. My choice is the silver margarita, no salt.