Your margarita tequila

[SlyMoose]

I'm planning to make my wife and I some margaritas tonight, as I just got is a shaker!

I'm just curious as to what tequila you guys prefer in a classic margarita. I will admit I'm cheating and using a drink mix.

I know my local liquor store has 1800, Patron, Juarez, and Jose Cuarvo. I'm not sure what else they have though.

What should I look for, or which of those should I pick?

I normally use Cuarvo gold, but I'm wondering if I should try something new?

 

[eezee]

IMHO y9ou just can't beat Epsilon for the quality and the price. Both the Blanco and the Reposado make outstanding Margaritas. Plus, you can't beat the labels!!

 

[redslayer8585]

We make margaritas once or twice a week and all I ever use is Cuervo mix and 1800 tequila. Tastes just like the ones in the restaurant to me.

 

[langod]

Don't go any higher end than 1800. After that you're just wasting money putting excellent tequila into a drink and covering it up with lime juice and sugar.

Tip: If you want to "smooth" out your margarita (a common excuse for using ridiculously high-end tequila in one) just add a splash of beer. You can't taste it, but it does smooth out the profile.

 

[SlyMoose]

Don't go any higher end than 1800. After that you're just wasting money putting excellent tequila into a drink and covering it up with lime juice and sugar.

Tip: If you want to "smooth" out your margarita (a common excuse for using ridiculously high-end tequila in one) just add a splash of beer. You can't taste it, but it does smooth out the profile.

So I would assume 1800 is higher end than Patron?

 

[adamchur]

If it was me, I'd use Mezcal - just to be different !!

 

[ciderguy]

el Jimador Reposado. Good value, widely available, and has some herbal notes to it that I like. It isn't terribly sweet or smooth, but it works great in a mixed drink.

 

[eezee]

If it was me, I'd use Mezcal - just to be different !!

Excellent thought. Some of the Mescal that is being produced is very very good. I've seen some that are priced as high as single malt scotch so be careful. La Vida is a very good Mescal that won't break the bank.

 

[langod]

So I would assume 1800 is higher end than Patron?

Technically, I think Patron is higher end. Perhaps I should have said "Don't go any more expensive than 1800."
Personally, I'm not a fan of Patron in general. It's a $25 tequila in a $50 bottle.

 

[i_dont_bite]

Anything middle shelf will do the trick.

 

[BlackBard]

Hi Sly,

I agree with others that, of those brands you mentioned, 1800 is your best bet.

After trying many brands (extensive research, you know), I have settled on Kirkland Silver Tequila, from Costco, as my choice for Margaritas. It is ridiculously inexpensive and works well for me.

The best advice I can give you is to skip the mix and use fresh lime and triple sec. You will save money and vastly improve your cocktails.

Salud!

 

[ouch]

A margarita, or for that matter any tequila based drink, is an unsophisticated beverage, but it's my favorite. The notion of a high end margarita amuses me, but I'll admit that a good tequila combined with Grand Marnier and/or Cointreau will a splash of lime and agave syrup makes a great drink. Stick to blanco tequilas- the nuance of reposados or anejos is lost in the mix.

For the cheap stuff, I prefer Drego Azul to Cuervo and the like. A good mid range tequila is El Padrino, and for top shelf I think El Tesoro de Don Felipe is as good as anything.

 

[FL shaver]

I like El Tesoro. Anejo or Reposado. Right now I have a bottle of Cazadores Reposado. Makes a good margaita. I like to know there is tequila in that salted glass. We also have a bottle of Camarena we were gifted and it is decent. I look past Cuervo and Patron now (Except Patron Citronage, which substitutes nicely for Cointreau). I loike the advice to skip the mix and go for fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and your tequila, sometimes with agave syrup. We did go through a bottle of Williams and Sonoma Margarita mix, but I find most mixes to be sickly sweet. Experiment! Find what you like!

My favorite margarita? Whatever they serve at Coconuts in Cozumel!

 

[nymtber]

Hornitos reposado.

If I can't drink it neat, It doesn't go into a margarita, either. I make margaritas from scratch, lime juice, tequila, triple sec and salted rim. So the tequila still shines through, and cheap tequila isn't so good here, either. El Jimador is another I use, not quite as good, but still budget friendly (and not at all bad!)

Cabo Wabo I buy to drink neat, way better than Patron, and cost less. I do like Patron Cafe XO, but its actually VERY reasonably priced!

 

[TexLaw]

I typically go with a mid-range ($15-20ish), solid reposado that does not include the word "Cuervo" in the name. Cuervo is just bad stuff, man--about as smooth as a porcupine going down the wrong way. It's good for intoxicating high school and college kids, hiring scantily-clad model wannabes to pour it, and not much else beyond cleaning out your ears.

Espolon, Alteno, and El Jimador all have worked quite well. A tie-breaker between those might be what's on sale when I'm in the store.

I've found that I really do enjoy reposado in a margarita. The difference between using a reposado and a blanco is subtle, but it's there. However, the difference between reposados is all but lost once you mix it into a margarita. It's also a matter of personal taste. Reposado does not make a better margarita, just a margarita that I like better. If you prefer a blanco in your margarita, then all the above brands have a solid, similarly priced blanco.

Also, your margarita recipe makes a difference. The more tequila you add, the more you taste the tequila (of course). My house margarita is to shake and strain 2 parts tequila, 2 parts Cointreau, and 1 part lime juice--somewhat strong on the tequila, so I notice a difference.

 

[jgbaxter59]

I like El Jimador a lot for mid-range tequila... and I think the best margarita is made with Gran Gala, period. Just my opinion. Not to praise Cuervo, nothing like partying with a bottle of the Rolling Stones 1972 Tour Edition, Gran Gala, lime juice, etc...

 

[OldAF]

Lunazul is my usual mixing tequila. It can be found around here on sale for $15 or less, is 100% Agave, and tastes just fine. Always made with fresh limes and Cointreau.
Having said that, just about anything 100% agave will do. It will state 100% de agave on the label.

 

[Saxonbowman]

I'm pretty fond of Montezuma white. Smoother and less expensive than the Cuervo.

 

[LostHighway]

A big plus to the recommendations for Cointreau and fresh lime juice as opposed to mixes. This plus almost any halfway decent $20 to $30 tequila will yield a better result IMO than a $60 dollar tequila with a mix.
Espolon Blanco, Cazadores Blanco, Exotico Blanco, Cabrito Blaco and Corazon Blanco will all yield a very decent margarita IMO but just say "No!" to mixes.
I haven't had Lunazul yet but [MENTION=30336]OldAF[/MENTION] isn't the first recommendation I've heard for it so that is potentially another solid candidate.

 

[langod]

... and I think the best margarita is made with Gran Gala, period. ...

I agree. Gran Gala is amazing in a margarita. Learned about it years ago at a tiny but spectacular Mexican place. (In the White Mountains of New Hampshire of all places...)