[dropcap letter=”I”]n honor of Cinco de Mayo, we rounded up a festive collection of margaritas that will spice up or sweeten your wedding reception cocktail offerings. Layers of fun ingredients such as toasted coconut, fresh strawberries, pisco, blood oranges and even vodka make these twists on the original margarita worth raising a glass to. Cheers!
South American Margarita
Instructions:
1 1/2 ounces KAPPA Pisco
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
1/2 ounce agave nectar
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Method:
Shaken, strained over fresh ice into rocks glass, garnish lime wheel.
Van Gogh ‘Rita
Instructions:
2 ounces Van Gogh BLUE Triple Wheat Vodka
1/2 ounce triple sec
1 ounce sour mix
2 ounce soda
2 wedges of lime
Method:
Pour the Van Gogh BLUE Triple Wheat Vodka and triple sec in a glass over ice. Top with the sour mix and soda and garnish with two lime wedges.
Blood Orange Margaritas from Smitten Kitten
Note: If you don’t have triple sec or cointreau, simple syrup will make for an equally sweet but less boozy result.
Serves 2, but only if you share.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup blood orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons triple sec or cointreau, or more to taste
7 tablespoons white or “silver” tequila
Lime or blood orange slices for garnish, plus some of those drink umbrellas
Method:
Mix. Fill two glasses with ice and divide between them. Garnish. Drink and daydream.
Fresh Strawberry Coconut Margaritas from How Sweet it Is
Serves 1
Ingredients:
2 ounces Grand Marnier
1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
2 ounces lime juice
2 ounces coconut water
2 ounces cream de coconut
2 1/2 ounces strawberry simple syrup [recipe below]
Lime and fresh strawberries for garnish
Salt, sugar and toasted finely shredded coconut for the rim
Method:
Rim the ridge of your glass with a lime wedge and dip in a mix of margarita salt, sugar, toasted coconut [I used about 3 tablespoons salt to 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted coconut]. Fill the glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, grand marnier, simple syrup, coconut water, cream de coconut and lime juice with ice, and shake for about 60 seconds. Pour over ice and squeeze in lime slices and add a few strawberries. A slight bit of separation may occur from the cream de coconut, so shake well!
For strawberry simple syrup: combine equal parts sugar and water, bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve, then turn off heat and let cool completely. Combine 1 cup simply syrup and 1 1/2 cups slices strawberries in a blender and blend until combined. I don’t mind strawberry seeds, but if you’d like you can strain the mixture over a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
Spicy Margarita from Food Republic
Ingredients:
3 slices of muddled red peppers
2 parts Herradura Tequila
3/4 parts Cointreau
1/2 parts lime juice
1/2 parts simple syrup
Pinch of cilantro
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and then pour into a glass with ice. Garnish with a slice of red pepper.
