I’ve been working on this version of the margarita for a number of years.  It started with looking at what I had in my liquor cabinet and mixing, meaning it was the Tequila, Triple Sec, and Schnapps.  I still like my recipes simple, especially when mixing drinks.  You want something you can make easily, make a lot of, and make so long as you can still read the labels on the bottles.  I started making them again with the warmer weather and realized that there was something still off about it.  The taste was okay, but it didn’t taste like the kick in the head you expect from a drink that’s made with all alcohol.

Then I found the wee bottle of Grand Marnier in my cabinet.  Adding that made a world of difference.  I’ve recently learned that Grand Marnier is a form of Triple Sec, but made with cognac as a base, which is where the extra kick in the head came from.  I also have a large bottle of Southern Comfort that’s gathering dust (I swore off the stuff in college and haven’t touched it since).  Using that instead of Grand Marnier got acceptable results from taste testers.

I’ve also since learned that Margaritas are supposed to have lime juice in them.  For one thing, I don’t like following your rules.  For another, shut up!  I mean..you can add an ounce of lime juice if you like.

You can crank this up or down easily since everything uses the same measure.  Want a single drink?  Use 1/2 ounce of everything.  Want to make a party punch?  Use bottles.  I’ve never tried this, but go for it and tell me how it works for you.