The Honey Vanilla Margarita adds a hint of – you guessed it – honey and vanilla to your traditional margarita flavors. I came up with this one after receiving a sample bottle of Casa Noble Crystal white tequila.

This was actually my first experience with that particular brand. It had a distinctive taste which drove my development of this recipe.

The flavor of white tequila is hard to describe. Basically, it tastes like a vegetable with hints of citrus and sweetness.

In Casa Noble Crystal, the vegetable taste is emphasized, the citrus notes aren’t so noticeable, and there’s a hint of bitterness. I figured it could hold its own in a sweet margarita recipe, so that’s what I created.

Honey Vanilla Margarita in front of liquor bottles

The honey-vanilla flavor in this one is subtle. It comes from Licor 43, a Spanish liqueur that tastes like honey and vanilla with citrus. In this recipe, the citrus gets played down a little, compared to the traditional margarita, but it still comes through.

If you want a stronger vanilla flavor, you can just use more Licor 43 and/or change the ratios of other ingredients.

Just don’t go overboard with the lime – half an ounce is all it can take. More, and lime overwhelms all the other flavors so the drink just tastes like a traditional margarita.

Overhead view of Honey Vanilla Margarita in front of liquor bottles

You could actually leave the lime out, in which case it’s my opinion that the drink would cease to be a “real margarita”, but it certainly would taste great.

Another ingredient that I personally consider crucial is Patron Citronge. Triple Sec has a bright, intense orange flavor. Patron’s orange flavor is more delicate and sweet, and that’s what you need to work with the subtle vanilla flavor.

This is the first margarita recipe I’ve created – there are so many margarita recipes out there, it can be intimidating to try to come up with something new – but I’m already thinking about another I might do.