In case it’s not perfectly clear by now, National Margarita Day is upon us, and that means at some point today, this week, or during the weekend, you will celebrate. Many people will pour their favorite cocktail using tequila and one of those giant jugs of mix you can grab from the grocery store, and that’s fine. Our first rule of margs is: never judge, only appreciate.
But if you’re tired of the same old and want something new, unique, and even a little crazy for this year’s holiday, we have you covered. Some of our favorite tequila brands and bar geniuses know how much Islands loves February 22, so they’ve sent some of the most bonkers recipes we have ever seen. So, let’s not wait another moment—it’s time to pour.
The People’s Margarita
- 2 oz Teremana Blanco
- 0.75 oz lime juice
- 0.5 oz agave nectar
- 1 oz pineapple juice (to taste)
How to Make It:
Mix ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wheel, pineapple leaves, and sea salt (as desired).
Cucumber Margarita
- 1.5 oz 1800 Blanco
- 0.75 oz Triple Sec
- 0.5 oz cucumber juice
- 0.75 oz. lime juice
- Pinch of salt
How to Make it:
Combine all ingredients (and pinch of salt) into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon on a pick.
The Blue Nectar Sriracha Margarita
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Blue Nectar Tequila
- 0.5 oz Triple Sec
- 2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
- Ice
- 1 jalapeño pepper cut into wheels
- Salt for rim
How to Make It:
Salt the rim of your glass by placing a small amount of Sriracha on a plate, dipping the rim of the glass with Sriracha, then dipping the rim in salt. Place ice in a cocktail shaker with ice, then add in tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and Sriracha. Shake vigorously, then pour the margarita into the glass. Garnish with a jalapeño wheel and enjoy.
Not a Margarita
Ingredients:
- 2 oz iichiko Saiten
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 0.5 oz Grapefruit Juice
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- 0.5 oz Triple Sec
- Citrus Wheel
How to Make It:
Mix all ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into Rocks glass over ice. Garnish with citrus wheel.
Watermelon Lime Mashup Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz JAJA Blanco
- 2 oz Limeade
- Spiked seltzer
- Watermelon (for garnish)
How to Make It:
Combine all ingredients in a highball glass over ice. Garnish with a watermelon wedge and a salted rim.
Beet It Margarita
- 2.5 oz Tequila Don Ramón Punta Diamante Silver
- 1 oz beet ginger juice
- 0.5 oz Cointreau
- 0.75 oz lime juice
- 1 tsp agave nectar
- Splash of sparkling lime mineral water
- Beet lace tuile for garnish
How to Make It:
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour over ice and top with the sparkling lime mineral water. Garnish with the beet lace tuile for extremely Instagrammable results.
Slush Fun Margarita
Ingredients:
- 6 cups frozen watermelon chunks
- 4 oz Tequila Don Ramón Punta Diamante Silver
- 1.5-2 oz Elderflower Liqueur (depending on how sweet you like it)
- 2 oz fresh lime juice
How to Make It:
This serves two. Freeze your watermelon in 1-2-inch cubes (or scoop it out with an ice cream scooper) and put it in your freezer for about 24 hours. And voila! You’re ready to whip up these frozen watermelon margaritas. Blend all ingredients and serve.
The Garden Margarita
Ingredients:
- 2 oz mezcal
- 1 oz lime juice
- 0.5 oz honey syrup
- 1 oz celery juice
- Maldon salt for rim
- Lime wheel for garnish
How to Make It:
Combine all ingredients and shake well. Strain over ice in a salted glass and garnish with the lime wheel.
Salted Cucumber Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Tequila Don Ramón Punta Diamante Silver
- 1 oz. lime juice
- 0.75 oz. agave nectar
- 0.75 oz. Triple Sec
- 2 cucumber slices
- 2 jalapeño slices
- 1 pinch of smoked sea salt
- 1 sprig of basil for garnish
- Salted cucumber spear for garnish
How to Make It:
Add tequila, basil leaf, cucumber and jalapeño slices to a shaking tin, lightly muddle. Add all ingredients except garnishes into the tin and add ice. Shake, strain, and pour cocktail into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with salted cucumber spear and sprig of basil. Serve and enjoy.
Spicy Carrot Margarita
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Tequila Don Ramón Punta Diamante (or Mezcal is especially nice here)
- 0.75 oz carrot juice
- 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
- 0.5 oz jalapeño-infused agave syrup
How to Make It:
Combine ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with a lime wheel and a dried chili spice mix.
Highland Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Tequila Don Ramón Platinium Plata
- 0.5 oz giffard banana
- 0.25 cup chopped celery
- 0.75 oz lime
- 0.5 oz honey syrup
- Pinch of salt
- Celery ribbon for garnish
How to Make It:
Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice, short shake, and strain into your favorite glass.
Hibiscus Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz El Tequileño Platinum
- 2 oz sweetened hibiscus juice
- 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.5 oz agave syrup
- Hibiscus flower for garnish
How to Make It:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until ice cold and strain into a rocks glass over cubed ice. Garnish with a hibiscus flower.
Italicus Margarita
- 1 oz Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto
- 1 oz lime juice
- 2 oz Tequila avion
- Lime peel for garnish
How to Make it:
Combine ingredients, shake, and serve in a Martini glass.
Margarita in Fuoco
Ingredients:
- 2 oz of Espolon Tequila infused with peppers (bell, roasted habanero, roasted poblano)
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 0.5 oz Solerno
- Salt rim, lime wedge, and pepperoncini for garnish
How to Make It:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake, then strain over ice into a rocks glass with a salted rim. Garnish with a lime wedge and pepperoncini.
Monterita
- 2 oz Amaro Montenegro
- 1 oz blanco tequila
- 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
- Lime wheel for garnish
How to Make It:
Combine ingredients, shake with ice, and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Pomegranate Manarita
Image: 16 Pomegranate Manarita
Credit: Teremana Tequila
Caption: Pomegranate juice is a low-key great ingredient for any margarita.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Teremana Blanco
- 1 oz Pomegranate Juice
- 0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 0.5 oz Agave Nectar
- Pinch of Salt
- Lime wheel for garnish
How to Make It:
Combine ingredients, shake, and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Sage Margarita
Ingredients:
- 0.35 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.7 oz Grand Marnier
- 2.25 oz sage-infused añejo tequila*
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- Half spoonful of icing sugar
- Sage leaves and sage salt for garnish**
How to Make It:
Slide the rim of the glass along a quarter of lime, then place the glass in a bowl of sage salt. Place ice cubes and all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously so that the ice cubes crush the sage. Filter through both a sieve and a chinois strainer into the sage salt rimmed glass. Place a few leaves on the surface of the liquid.
*Sage-infused añejo tequila: Infuse 15 sage leaves in 700ml of tequila for 48 hours. Filter.
**Sage salt: Sprinkle sea salt on an aluminum tray, then place the sage leaves side by side on the tray, ensuring they are perfectly flat. Sprinkle them with salt once more. Place the tray in a warm oven (approx. 160°F) and remove after 20 minutes. Place the salt and sage in a blender and mix briefly.
The Golden Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Altos Blanco Tequila
- 1 oz Nitxa Licor de Elote
- 0.75 oz pineapple juice
- 0.5 oz lime juice
- 0.25 oz agave
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- Lime wedge for garnish
How to Make It:
Combine ingredients, shake with ice in a cocktail shaker, and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime slice.
Marg IZO Pastor
Ingredients:
- 1.5oz IZO Mezcal
- 0.5oz ancho reyes
- 1 oz lime
- 0.75 oz pastor syrup
How to Make the Pastor Syrup:
Blend 1 cup agave nectar, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 5 cilantro sprigs, 5 Thai basil sprigs, 5 parsley sprigs, 5 grams black cracked pepper, 1/2 de-seeded jalapeño. In a covered pot, bring mixture to a low simmer for 5 minutes. Strain solids and let cool.
Once cool, bottle and refrigerate. Syrup will last for 2 weeks. To fortify add 2 oz of your favorite tequila to extend shelf life to 1 month.
How to Make the Cocktail:
Combine ingredients in shaker, pour over ice.
St. Tropez Margarita
Ingredients:
- 4 oz of La Fête du Rosé
- 1 oz of silver tequila
- 1 oz of fresh lime juice
- 1.5 oz of simple syrup
- Salt for rimming glass
How to Make It:
Add all ingredients to a tin with ice. Shake. Strain into salt rimmed glass with ice and enjoy!
Bodega Taqueria y Tequila’s Luau Libre
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Gem & Bolt Mezcal
- 0.35 oz Chinola Passionfruit Liqueur
- 0.75 oz agave syrup
- 0.75 oz fresh lime
- 2 dashes tiki bitters
How to Make It:
Combine all liquid ingredients in shaker tin. Add ice. Shake roughly 20 seconds to fully combine ingredients. Strain shaken ingredients over fresh ice in rocks glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
Spicy Cucumber Margarita
Ingredients:
- 3 oz Hornitos Plata Tequila
- 0.5 oz DeKuyper Triple Sec Liqueur
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz agave nectar (optional)
- 1 mini cucumber
- 1 jalapeño
How to Make It:
Muddle 1-2 thin slices of jalapeño in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the lime, lemon, and optional agave nectar juices. Add the tequila, Triple Sec, and a handful of ice. Shake and strain into a margarita glass over ice. Garnish with thinly sliced cucumbers, and jalapeño slices (optional for spice).
Passion Fruit Pineapple Margarita
Ingredients:
- 2oz Round Barn Distillery Blue Flame Agave (or silver tequila)
- 1.5 oz passion fruit simple syrup
- 0.75 oz pineapple juice
- 0.75 oz Triple Sec
- 2 oz sour mix
- Tajin
- Large rocks glass
How to Make It:
Fill a rocks glass with ice. Fill shaker with ice. Pour agave, passion fruit, pineapple juice, Triple Sec, and sour mix into a shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into the rocks glass. Sprinkle tajin over top of the cocktail.
