Recipies collected, tested, shared

Basic Margarita


(Makes 1 Margarita)

  • 1 1/4 oz Tequila
  • 3/4 oz Cointreau (You could also use Grand Marnier or Patron makes an orange liquor called Citronage that is less expensive)
  • 1 1/2 oz Lime Juice (best fresh squeezed) or Margarita Mix
  • small splash of Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice
  • small amount of sugar
  • Lime Wedge
  • Kosher Salt
  • Ice
  • Put a layer of Kosher salt in a flat dish.
  1. Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass to wet it.
  2. Touch rim of glass to salt, add ice to glass.
  3. Put the Tequila, Cointreau, Lime Juice or Mix, Key Lime juice, and sugar into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for a few seconds.
  4. Pour over ice into glass.

For a terrific Raspberry Margarita substitute Chambord for the Cointreau!

3-2-1 Margarita


(Makes 1 Margarita)

Simple, easy to remember - even after a few. Perfect for mass production at parties. Just mix, salt and serve!

  • 3 parts Tequila

  • 2 parts Triple Sec

  • 1 part Real Lime Juice

The Topolo Margarita

From the great Frontera Grill/Topolobampo in Chicago.

(Thanks to John Montgomery for this one)

  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (~2 limes)
  • 1/4 cup water + one teaspoon sugar
  • 10 tablespoons water
  • To this add: 3/4 cup good tequila
    • 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
    • Ice
  • Shake and strain into chilled glasses.

You may want to make this one in quantity:

  1. 2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice (about 15 limes)
  2. 2 cups water1cup sugaroptional a splash of key lime juice and/or orange juice
  3. Let sit for 30 minutes or more.
  4. Ready to mix up a batch... 60/40 mix of mix to tequila in a shaker or pitcher.
  5. Add a splash of your choice of Cointreau/Grand Marnier/Citronage at serving time.

Strawberry Daiquiri

(Makes 2 blenders full)

This version has evolved over years of rigorous testing and development by myself and Craig Brinkman.

  • 1 - can of frozen pink lemonade (12oz, 355ml)
  • 1 - bag of frozen strawberries (16oz, 1lb, 453g)
  • Rum
  • Sugar
  • Water
  • Ice
  1. Pour one can of lemonade, one can of rum, one can of water into blender
  2. Add some sugar
  3. Blend mixture and pour half into a pitcher or another blender top
  4. To the remaining mixture in blender add half the bag of frozen strawberries and ice until blender is full
  5. Blend until thick, adding ice if too thin
  6. Repeat with other half of mixture and strawberries

Cosmopolitan

(Makes 1 cocktail)

A favorite from Espial Restaurant in Chicago (948 W Armitage Ave)

Ingredients

  • Lemon Wedge
  • 1 1/2 to 2 shots Absolute Citron
  • 1 shot Cointreau
  • Splash of cranberry juice
  • Juice of 2/3 of a Fresh Lime
  • Ice
  •  

Assembly

  1. Rub the lemon wedge into the sides of a Martini Glass.
  2. Pour Absolute Citron, Cointreau, cranberry juice and lime juice over ice in shaker and shake.
  3. Pour thru strainer into glass.

Turtle Krawl

 (Makes 1 cocktail)

A favorite from Disney's Old Key West Resort at Walt Disney World

Ingredients

  • 2 oz White Bacardi Rum
  • 1 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
  • 1 oz Myers Rum
  • Orange Juice
  • Pineapple Juice
  • Key Lime Juice
  • Grenadine

Assembly

  1. Pour the various rums into a glass over ice
  2. Fill the glass to the top by simultaneously pouring the Orange Juice and Pineapple Juice until full
  3. Add a splash of Key Lime Juice
  4. Add a splash of Grenadine
  5. Pour into the shaker and back into the glass

WARNING! this is both tasty and potent! A perfect drink when you can use Disney World's transportation system to get home...