After turning 21 during quarantine and spending way too much time with my family, I decided it was time for me to get creative with my cocktails at home. I was tired of spending almost $20 on a pack of seltzers, and I wanted to spice up the very limited number of things my friends and I could do at home. I went on the hunt for the perfect recipe. I will tell you right now, it does not include the giant plastic bottle of lime green margarita mix. Absolutely not.
While trying to craft the best possible recipe for myself, upon returning to Chapel Hill in the fall, I was on the hunt for the best margarita in town. So far, the best has been Que Chula, a new taco restaurant and tequila bar. From what I have found, they have the most authentic margarita in the area. Along the way, I tried Top of the Hill, Bar Taco, Carolina Inn, Pantana Bob's, Tru Deli and Wine, Monterrey and there are probably more that I am forgetting. The margarita at Tru could potentially take first place, if they would start serving liquor again... And Bob's really surprised me. I got all my friends on the Bob's margarita train after finding it surprisingly tasty.
The margarita has become part of my brand now. All my friends know, when it is time to hit the bar to refresh drinks, a marg is the only option. I am always in the mood for a "good marg," as I tell my friends.
With every marg, you need an even better tequila. The first step to creating the perfect cocktail, was getting rid of the $11 Silver Jose Cuervo. After extensive googling and a few taste tests, I landed on the Casamigos Blanco. This tequila brand was created by George Clooney and some of his friends/business associates. I know the tequila market is currently inundated with celebrity tequila brands, but this one is different. Let's not talk about Kendall Jenner's new tequila line, 818.
The Casamigos had great reviews online and is fairly priced for what you're getting. It ranks up there with some of the higher end tequilas, but a 750 mL bottle comes in around $40. Now that I have been working as a bartender, I allowed myself to splurge in order to craft the perfect margarita.
I tried a few recipes and tested them out with my friends. It took a few tries, but I finally landed on a recipe. And if you have made it this far in my blog today, I am going to share it with you.
2 oz. Casamigos Blanco
1 oz FRESH lime juice
.5 oz Triple Sec
.5 Agave Syrup
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into glass rimmed with salt. Top with ice. Garnish with lime wedge.
Here are a few important things to note. You can choose your own blanco tequila, but you will definitely not be disappointed with the Casamigos. Fresh lime juice is key! Agave syrup may seem hard to come by, but is actually more common than you think. I once visited four Harris Teeter's in one day looking for it. Turns out they all organize their stores a little differently, so it was always in a different place. It can either be found with the honey and syrups OR on the baking aisle. Blue agave syrup.
I have continued testing out various cocktails on my friends, but the margarita will always have a special place in my heart. Let me know if you try my recipe!
Cheers!
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