You may think that Valentine’s Day is the only February holiday worth mixing up a fancy drink for (unless you threw back some George Washingtons on President’s Day), but in fact the month boasts one of the most hallowed drink-themed days of the year—National Margarita Day on February 22. Sure, there seems to be a new National [Insert Something Here] Day every time you blink, but how many of those provide an excuse to drink endless tequila when summer seems nowhere in sight? So we say enjoy a mid-winter marg (or three), anyway you like it—and we’ve found 14 different ways.
Weeping Coconut Margarita
If you’re not lounging on a beach and drinking out of a coconut for National Margarita Day, this tropical-flavored cocktail might be the closest you can get. The addition of sweet coconut cream to this cocktail is a perfect complement to the lime and tequila.
2 ounces Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila
3/4 ounces coconut cream
3/4 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce agave
Coconut flakes, for garnish
Measure coconut cream into a cocktail shaker, then add all remaining ingredients. Shake hard and serve in a rocks glass over ice.
Berry Bell Margarita
With bell pepper and raspberry, you can drink more than one of these bright red beverages and tell yourself that you’re being healthy by imbibing your daily serving of fruit and vegetables.
1 ounce Cointreau
2 ounces blanco tequila
2 slices red bell pepper
2 raspberries
1 bar spoon raspberry preserves
Muddle raspberries with bell peppers in a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Margarita Caliente
Like your margarita with a little kick to it? You’ll want to try this peppery take on the classic concoction. With jalapeno-infused agave nectar and Sriracha, this spicy version is certainly not for the faint of heart.
1 1/2 parts Tres Agaves Reposado Tequila
1 part fresh lime juice
3/4 parts Cointreau
1/4 part jalapeño infused Tres Agaves agave syrup*
3 dashes Sriracha
Lime wedge, for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks or margarita glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.
*Jalapeño agave syrup:
2 cups Tres Agaves Agave Nectar
1 or 2 jalapeños, cut lengthwise, seeds removed
Bring the agave nectar to a simmer over a medium heat. Add jalapeño and let simmer for at least one hour. Rest it overnight for maximum flavor, then strain through a mesh sieve and store in the refrigerator.
1800 Margarita
Maybe you don’t want anything fancy in your margarita, maybe you’re a purist and you want to drink your margarita as it was intended. If that’s the case, here’s a recipe that you can drink while repeating the mantra, “Drinking classic does not make me basic.”
2 ounces 1800 Silver Tequila
1 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce agave syrup
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into a salted rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Cilantro Margarita
Are you one of the unfortunate few who thinks cilantro tastes like soap? Then we suggest skipping over this recipe and onto the next (sorry four to fourteen percent of the population). For those of you who aren’t hating on the herb, this cocktail is a no-brainer, combining flavors of traditional Mexican cuisine into one glass.
2 parts Milagro Anejo
1 part fresh lime juice
3/4 part agave nectar
Fresh cilantro
Pour all ingredients into a Boston shaker. Shake and strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with lime wheel, cilantro and a smoked salt rim.
Ginger con Hielo
Say you’ve decided suddenly to move from a bar location to the comfort of your own home, but still want your beverage to taste like it was whipped up by professional (not to assume…but we’re sure your crush will like you no matter what you serve), relax, because the solution is simple. Forget the syrupy sweet margarita mixes you’ve tried in the past—Tres Agaves has made a margarita mix that’s actually…good? And by adding a few custom touches you’re sure to impress whoever you’ve promised to mix up a drink.
Tres Agaves Margarita Mix
2 parts Tres Agaves Reposado Tequila
1/4 parts Triple Sec
Candied ginger
Mix together Triple Sec and margarita mix. Pour into a king ice-cube tray and place piece of candied ginger in the liquid. Freeze overnight. For preparing the cocktail, pour two parts of Reposado tequila over each cube.
Mexican Bonfire
This smoky and sweet margarita is a perfect way to introduce yourself to Avila, a new agave-based spirit that could be considered a sister to tequila and mezcal.
1 1/2 ounces Revel Avila Blanco
1 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce hickory smoked agave nectar
Sea Salt and a dash of cayenne, for spicy salt rim
Add all ingredients into shaker with ice and shake for 10 seconds. Add ice to a rocks glass pour the mixture over. Garnish with a lime slice.
St-Rita
If you know anything about food and drink trends, you know that elderflower is everywhere (I mean, did you see Harry and Meghan’s wedding cake?) To this we say—why not in a margarita? With some St-Germain you can add this ultra-trendy floral essence to your margarita and feel positively fancy.
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce St-Germain artisanal French elderflower liqueur
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Shake all the ingredients with ice and serve on the rocks. Salt the rim of your glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
Margarita Guabanero
If you feel like getting a little wild and trying something new this National Margarita Day, this not-too-sweet take on the cocktail includes guanabana—a fruit native to the Caribbean—and habanero peppers that are perfect if you like it hot.
2 ounces Gran Centenario Añejo Tequila
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 ounce Cointreau
2 1/2 ounces guanabana pulp concentrate
2 slices habanero
Tajin seasoning
Run a lime wedge around the rim of a glass and dip in the Tajin. Fill a glass with ice. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add tequila, Cointreau, guanabana pulp concentrate, slices of habanero and lime juice. Shake to combine. Strain the cocktail over the prepared glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
Rose Water Margarita
If misting your face with rose
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce blanco tequila
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce grapefruit juice
6-8 dashes of rose
2 ounces champagne
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain over ice in a rocks glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a lime wheel or peel and rose buds.
Watermelon Basil Margarita
With ingredients like fresh watermelon and basil, the freshness of this margarita speaks for itself, and it’s saying “I’m delicious and I dare you to drink just one.”
1 1/2 ounces Patrón Reposado
1 ounce fresh watermelon juice
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce agave nectar
3 basil leaves
Watermelon wedge, for garnish
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain onto fresh ice in a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a basil leaf and wedge of watermelon.
Margarita a la Casa
Don’t be fooled by the name, this isn’t any old margarita. If you have a taste for mezcal, you’ll love this smoky twist on a classic margarita.
1 1/2 ounce Se Busca Joven Mezcal
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce agave nectar
1/2 ounce Cointreau or triple sec
Place all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass with a half smoked salt rim, top with smoked salt (optional).
Pinch of Peach Margarita
You didn’t think we would let National Margarita day slip by without offering up a ridiculously fruity frozen margarita, did you? This peach and apricot blended drink includes a splash of moscato and an entire cup of frozen peaches that will trick you into thinking that you’re definitely somewhere other than your couch.
3 ounces Barefoot Moscato
1 ounce tequila silver
1 cup frozen peaches
1 1/2 ounce apricot nectar
1/2 ounce fresh lime
1/2 ounce agave nectar
1 cup ice
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into a margarita glass. Garnish with a peach slice.
The Sparkling Margarita
We get it, you love anything with bubbles. Well set down that seltzer, because this sparkling cocktail will leave you wondering why every margarita doesn’t have a little bit of bubbly added in.
3/4 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce blanco tequila
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1 shake edible pearlescent powder
1 bar spoon simple syrup
Sparkling wine
Lime twist, for garnish
Add the first five ingredients into shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled flute. Top with sparkling wine, garnish with a lime twist.
