Adventures in Cocktails 🍹

I’ve been on a Frozen Margarita kick lately and wanted to make my own as it’s getting expensive at the bar.  This is also my first serious attempt at making my own cocktails beyond simple Whisky Highballs.  To start here is the basic components of a classic Margarita recipe.

• 1.5 oz Tequila (Blanco 100% Agave) 🥃 
• 1 oz Cointreau 🍊 
• 0.5 oz Lime Juice 🍋‍🟩 

A Frozen Margarita adds more lime juice and sweetness either from sugary syrup or frozen fruits.

Chapter 1 - Frozen Margaritas

I. Adventures begin with Frozen Margaritas

I’m trying a variety of Margarita recipes and settled on a base and have experimented with the flavoring options.  I’m also learning basic cocktail making techniques to gain a better appreciation for what I normally order at a bar.

II. Budget - It’s cheaper to DIY

It was getting expensive to order frozen margaritas at bars and was spending $8-12 per drink when I can make it at home for about $3.  The main cost is about $2 for the Tequila and Cointreau.  Limes 🍋‍🟩 and fruit 🍍 round out the rest.

III. Recipe - Margarita

A) Base Recipe:

• 2 oz Tequila (Blanco 100% Agave) 🥃 
• 1.5 oz fresh squeezed lime 🍋‍🟩 juice
• 0.5 oz Cointreau 🍊 

B) Syrup Add on:

• 0.5 oz flavored syrup ( pineapple 🍍)
• 1 oz simple syrup 
• 1.5 cups of ice 🧊 

C) Fruit only:

• 8 oz frozen Pineapple 🍍 
• 0.5 cups of ice 🧊 

I found the Pineapple 🍍 has enough sweetness and I didn’t need to additional sugar.

IV. Technique Advice

Ice for thickness

How much ice 🧊 determines how thick the frozen margarita will be, but too much can dilute the alcohol.  Also crushed or smaller ice cubes are better than what you get from the freezer, but both are fine and adjust accordingly to make it work.

Using frozen fruit helps on reducing amount of ice 🧊 and less syrup.

Max Extraction from Fresh Limes 🍋‍🟩 

Get a juice squeezer for limes 🍋‍🟩.  Roll limes on a hard surface then cut centerwise.  This should help on extracting the most juice per lime.

V. Bar Ingredient - Make your own Simple Syrup

It’s quite easy and based on online recipes I found the 1:1 ratio of 8 oz water to 8 oz of sugar makes about 12 oz of simple syrup.

Key is to warm up the water and not let it boil.  Treat it the same way you would dissolve sugar in a cup of hot tea.  Keep stirring until it’s clear and presto.  Your own simple syrup.  Let it cool then store in the fridge.

VI. Related Drinks - Daiquiri (the Rum variant)

I’ve learned swapping Tequila and Cointreau with White Rum creates a Daiquiri 🍹.  My past experiences with rum has been it’s very sweet and part of my favorite Cuba Libre (Rum ‘n Coke) so I’d imagine the Daiquiri is just as sweet and the lime juice helps make it more interesting.

Frozen Daiquiri Recipe

• 2 oz white rum
• 1.5 oz lime juice 🍋‍🟩 
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 cup ice 🧊 

Cuba Libre (Rum Cola) Recipe

• 4 oz Coca Cola 🥤 
• 2 oz white rum
• 0.5 oz lime juice 🍋‍🟩 

VII. Next Chapter?  Old Fashioned.

I’ll have to return to my all time favorite, the Old Fashioned.  And made a few thanks to having Simple Syrup on hand and it really is critical in having Angostura classic bitters and a few drops is all you need.

Ill practice next on muddling ice cubes and fruit to make it to my desired specifications and hope to become halfway decent in making a good Old fashioned.

Classic Oldfashioned Recipe

• 2 oz Bourbon 🥃 
• 3 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 sugar cube or 0.25 oz simple syrup
• 1 orange peel 🍊 
• 1 luxardo cherry 🍒 

Soak the sugar cube in bitters then muddle.  Zest the orange peel for aromatics and also rub it on the rim of the glass.

For a simple version skip the fruit and sugar cube.