Happy National Margarita Day! If you’re having a tough time getting through the grips of winter, the good folks that sell tequila are hoping to remind you that, before you know it, you’ll be sitting on a beach with an ice-cold beverage in your hand that's a tasty mix of tequila, lime juice, and triple sec.
Patrón in particular is using the “holiday” to launch its Margarita of the Year contest. The company has tasked seven different bartenders from around the country to come up with their recipes for the best cocktail. Voters can choose from classic, smoky, savory, spicy, tropical, herbal, and modern varieties.
Yahoo Finance welcomed one of the competitors, Laura Newman of New York City’s “Mother or Pearl” bar, to show us how to make the perfect drink to celebrate National Margarita Day. Below you’ll find three recipes: classic, savory, and herbal. All three are part of the contest, and now you can give them a try in your home bar before heading to the Web to cast your vote.
CLASSIC:
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1.5 ounces Patrón Silver Tequila
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.5 ounces Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur
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.5 ounces fresh lime juice
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.25 ounces agave nectar
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lime wedge
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain over fresh ice into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
SAVORY:
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1.5 ounces Patrón Silver Tequila
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.75 ounces Patrón XO Cafe Liqueur
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.5 ounces Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur
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75 oz fresh lemon juice
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1 barspoon (.125 oz) toasted sesame oil
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slice of fresh kumquat
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain over fresh ice into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a slice of fresh kumquat.
HERBAL:
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1.75 ounces Patrón Reposado Tequila
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.5 ounces Patrón Citrónge Mango Liqueur
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1 ounces fresh lemon juice
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.75 ounces agave syrup
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6 sage leaves (2 for garnish)
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pinch of salt
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grilled mango slice
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Holding a fine mesh strainer in one hand, “double strain” the drink by pouring the drink through it into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with two sage leaves and a grilled mango slice.
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