The Margarita in the same boat as the Martini and Gin and Tonic, as far as celebrity is concerned. You’d never know it based off of those horrendous, high fructose corn syrupped-to-death monstrosities you get at Mexican restaurants or bars, but the Margarita is a delicious, full and complex drink. There are relatively few ingredients in a Margarita: Tequila, Cointreau (an orange liqueur), and lime juice.
I was in the store today, and I noticed that Grand Marnier (another orange liqueur) is trying to elbow it’s way into Margaritaville more forcefully than ever before. Trying to use its reputation to woo customers, the package said: “Make the perfect Margarita with Grand Marnier.” I’m not one to pass up a challenge, especially with booze.
The Recipe:
1.5 parts Tequila
.5 part Grand Marnier
juice of a small lime
I made two sizes of this drink, the first was 1.5oz Tequila/.5oz GM. The second was 2oz Tequila/.75oz GM.
Please bear in mind that Grand Marnier has an alcohol content that is just as high as your Tequila, in all likelihood. I’d say make the smaller version, unless you really want to feel it.
So, how does the Grand Marnier hold up? Quite simply, it’s great. Tequila is a fantastic liquor, with a lot of flavor. It also has a serious soft spot for orange. I think it would be pretty hard to do a Margarita wrong with any type of orange liqueur. Even generic Triple Sec would do, in a pinch. Unless you have extremely discerning tastes, and simply can’t stand one or the other, I’d say use whichever you have lying around/ is cheapest to buy.
