Tequila cocktails are among my favorites. Maybe it’s because tequila gives me such an easy-going good feeling. Maybe it’s the way tequila blends with so many flavors so smoothly.

The Shady Lady is a tequila cocktail with a difference: grapefruit juice. So many tequila cocktails involve ... READ MORE]]> Tequila cocktails are among my favorites. Maybe it’s because tequila gives me such an easy-going good feeling. Maybe it’s the way tequila blends with so many flavors so smoothly.

The Shady Lady is a tequila cocktail with a difference: grapefruit juice. So many tequila cocktails involve lime, lemon or orange, but grapefruit juice is more unusual. Don’t worry about the tartness, though – a little Midori mellows that right out.

Shady Lady

• 1 ounce tequila
• 1 ounce Midori melon liqueur
• 4 ounces grapefruit juice

Just build the ingredients in a highball glass and garnish with lime and a cherry. Easy-peasy!

The Shady Lady is perfect for hot summer days. The vitamins in the grapefruit juice cancel out at least some of the dehydrating effects of the alcohol so you can enjoy without becoming uncomfortable.

Like its cousin, the Tequila Sunrise, the Shady Lady is ideal for drinking along with a fruit plate or salad. Think of those days where it’s so hot you only want to eat light, raw stuff. That’s what this drink was made for.

The Tequila Sunrise is another orange juice based cocktail, like the Screwdriver,  the Orange Blossom and the Harvey Wallbanger. The long-standing appeal of these drinks is actually the orange juice – it hydrates your body and provides Vitamin C to prevent or reduce hangover effects, ... READ MORE]]> The Tequila Sunrise is another orange juice based cocktail, like the Screwdriver,  the Orange Blossom and the Harvey Wallbanger. The long-standing appeal of these drinks is actually the orange juice – it hydrates your body and provides Vitamin C to prevent or reduce hangover effects, but you still get your alcohol kick, too. They’re a great choice to serve guests who are just social drinkers, but they’re equally popular with more dedicated drinkers.

The Tequila Sunrise gets its name from the visual effect of the grenadine dropping to the bottom, then slowly rising.

Tequila Sunrise

• 4 ounces orange juice (fresh squeezed is preferred)
• 2 ounces white tequila
• 1/2 ounce grenadine

Put ice cubes into a highball glass. Pour in the tequila followed by the orange juice. Now slowly pour the grenadine in so it sinks to the bottom. Optionally garnish with a citrus wedge or sliver of orange peel. If you find it difficult to pour slowly, here are some suggestions:

• Use a pour spout over the bottle.
• Pour as thin a stream as you can get out of the bottle over the back of a spoon, a technique we covered here with video, photos and instructions.
• Pour your grenadine into a paper cup, crease the brim of the cup, and pour slowly at the crease.

Fruit

The Tequila Sunrise is perfect for sipping along with a fruit plate, especially with mango, cantaloupe or honeydew. Another alternative is a salad featuring fruit, like the Cranberry Feta Roasted Walnut salad.

In a couple of days, it’ll officially be summer. One of the great summertime mixed drinks is the margarita, which comes in so many varieties you could have a substantially different one every day for well over a month. To prove it, I’ve collected links ... READ MORE]]> In a couple of days, it’ll officially be summer. One of the great summertime mixed drinks is the margarita, which comes in so many varieties you could have a substantially different one every day for well over a month. To prove it, I’ve collected links to 49 different margarita recipes. (We could get into a debate about how many of these are “true” margaritas, but do we really care?) I’ll start with a few traditional recipes, then move onto the wild and crazy.

49 Margarita Recipes

1. Our classic Margarita recipe
2. Cadillac Margarita – very traditional
3. Top Shelf Margarita – another classic recipe
4. Presidential Margarita – knockoff of Chili’s recipe
5. Key West Margarita – Midori, pina colada mix
6. Blood Orange Margarita – juice of a blood orange, and just a touch of sage
7. Hibiscus Margarita – uses a syrup made from dried hibiscus flowers
8. Berriful Margarita - blackberry and lime
9. Cool Mint Rita - creme de menthe
10. Austin Margarita – olives!
11. Spicy Yubari Margarita - (third one down on the page) jalapeno and melon liqueur
12. Smokey Margarita – mezcal floating on top
13. Sunset Sage Margarita - uses sage to bring out the flavor of tequila
14. Frozen Cactus Pear Margarita – cactus pear syrup
15. Low Budget Raspberry Margarita – uses raspberries and raspberry preserves in place of Chambord
16. Pomegranate Margarita – uses pomegranate juice
17. Rhubarb Margarita – uses cooked rhubarb, which is tart and sweet
18. Strawberry Margarita - the slushy classic
19. Guava Margarita – guava blended with the classic lime and orange
20. Kiwi Margarita – pureed kiwi fruit
21. Watermelon Margarita – slice of watermelon
22. Brandy Margarita - calls for E & J VSOP Brandy
23. Mango Key Lime Margarita - classic margarita with key limes and mellow mango
24. Jimmy Buffet’s Perfect Margarita – uses Rose’s Lime Juice
25. Spicy Margarita – paprika and pepper! (This is yummy!)
26. Chocolate Margarita - Godiva liqueur
27. Vanilla Margarita - uses a vanilla bean for flavor
28. Cinnamon and Orange Margarita - cinnamon schnapps
29. Li Hing Margarita – mango puree and li hing mui powder
30. Highland Margarita Recipe – Drambuie!
31. Italian Amaretto Margarita – national identity crisis resulting in yummy sweet margarita
32. Blue Margarita – Blue Curacao for color
33. Esta Loca Margarita - orange and pomegranate
34. Beer Margarita – just what it sounds like
35. Cranberry Margarita - cranberry juice and sauce
36. Margarita Fizz Recipe - orange sparkling water
37. Pineapple Margarita – mmm, pineapple and lime
38. Banana Margarita - blended with bananas
39. Paula’s Awesome Margarita Recipe – Texas Orange Liqueur
40. Whitecap Margarita - creme of coconut
41. Lavender Margarita – lavender blossoms, blueberries, raspberries and more
42. Tin Can Margarita - Emeril proves you can make a great margarita with tin can fruit-ades, as long as you use a high-quality tequila
43. Ruby Red Grapefruit Margarita - ruby red grapefruit, and ruby red vodka (with tequila)
44. Creamsicle Margarita - vanilla ice cream
45. Margarita Granita - slightly sweet twist on the classic
46. Three Citrus Sunrise Margarita – (last one on page) lime, orange, grapefruit and Chambord, all in one drink
47. Hot Pear Margarita - (second one on page) uses Tanteo tequila for an infusion of jalepeno, chocolate and tropical fruit flavors
48. Mt. Dew Margarita – (third one down) uh, this one may be a little controversial, but you know, it’s citrus-ish
49. Ultimate Sugar & Spice Margarita – courtesy of TGIFriday’s, uses gingerbread syrup

Enjoy! If you have a special recipe of your own, add it in comments.

The Long Island Iced Tea is one of the all time greats. It’s a stealth drink, like the Zombie. It goes down so easy, the high alcohol content sneaks up on you. It’s also a great pre-mixer to make in pitchers and serve at parties. ... READ MORE]]> The Long Island Iced Tea is one of the all time greats. It’s a stealth drink, like the Zombie. It goes down so easy, the high alcohol content sneaks up on you. It’s also a great pre-mixer to make in pitchers and serve at parties. Summertime is an ideal time to serve the Long Island Iced Tea, because its taste  is reminiscent of iced tea even though there’s no tea in it at all.

Long Island Iced Tea

• 1 ounce vodka
• 1/2 ounce white rum
• 1/2 ounce white tequila
• 1/2 ounce gin
• 1/2 ounce Triple Sec
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Cola to taste (about 1/2 cup)
• Lemon wedges

Fill a shaker with ice and add the vodka, rum, tequila, gin, Triple Sec, and lemon juice. Shake it vigorously until the shaker gets frosty on the outside. Pour  into a highball glass and top it off with cola. Garnish with lemon wedges or drop some lemon rounds into it, and serve.

Meat & Potatoes

The Long Island Iced Tea basically tastes like iced tea, which is pretty delicious with any meal.  Because this is a strong drink, pair it with solid meals (even a filling sandwich) rather than light salads and snacks. Try these:

• Sunday Dinner: Easy Meatloaf and Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Zucchini
• Savory steak dinner for two
• Texas-Style Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

If you’ve ever looked at the margarita list at a chain Mexican restaurant, you know there are endless variations on this classic drink. And as far as I’m concerned, they’re all pretty damn good! The classic recipe is incredibly simple, and it tastes wonderful. You ... READ MORE]]> If you’ve ever looked at the margarita list at a chain Mexican restaurant, you know there are endless variations on this classic drink. And as far as I’m concerned, they’re all pretty damn good! The classic recipe is incredibly simple, and it tastes wonderful. You can’t go wrong with it. But you can also tweak the recipe until you come up with your own personal signature margarita! Try different fruit juices and different liqueurs to find what you’re looking for.

The Classic Margarita

• 
  1 jigger (1.5 ounces) tequila
• 1/2 ounce Triple Sec
• 1 ounce fresh lime or lemon juice
• Salt (optional)

Shake all ingredients with cracked ice. Use the fruit rind to moisten the rim of the glass, then spin the glass around upside down in salt to salt the rim. Strain the cocktail mix into the glass. You can also serve it over the rocks.

You can leave off the salt. Some bartenders believe it was introduced to the cocktail to disguise the bad taste of cheap tequilas. As long as the tequila you’re using is of decent quality, you shouldn’t feel the need for salt – just add it if you like the flavor. But it’s a good idea to serve with a straw so people can taste the drink without the salt.

You can also use pretty much any orange liqueur in place of the Triple Sec – Cointreau, Patron Citronage, or blue curacao are popular choices. “Cadillac” margarita recipes use top-shelf spirits, so the orange liqueur will be Grand Marnier or Gran Gala.

Serve with hearty meals

The Classic Margarita has a bold, tart, citrus flavor that goes with just about any hearty meal. That’s why it’s such a popular choice at Mexican restaurants. You can also certainly pair it with happy hour snack foods. Really, it goes with anything. Personally, I prefer not to pair it with anything sweet, but other people disagree.