Coming Up Daisies

My lady and I recently returned from a short trip south of the border, where we spent the week in Puerto Penasco, Sonora. As luck would have it, the American spring breaks had all ended the week prior, and the Mexican spring break had finished up literally the day before we got there. We only saw two other families in our hotel the entire time, and most of the cantinas and tiendas were equally empty. Needless to say the bartenders and shopkeepers were very happy to see us. We would walk down the street and be hollered at and waved down with menus. Boat crews would offer us great deals on fishing charters or sunset cruises. We were popular with the locals, is what I'm trying to say. But we knew better. We hadn't come there to spend money; we were on a budget. 

We specifically picked a hotel with a full kitchen, just to avoid restaurant and bar markups (which, admittedly, were much lower there than here in the states). We walked right past them all and made a bee line for the fish market. Here we were equally popular, as everyone we passed claimed to have the best camarones or the freshest pescado. We picked up some of both (shrimp and fish) as well as some scallops from a vendor who, while he spoke perfect English, I tried my best to practice my Spanish on. These were to be our meals for the week. 

The next day that fish became our lunch: ceviche
 of flounder, margaritas made with fresh citrus, corn tortillas straight from the tortilleria, and a view of the water. The ceviche was good, and the tortillas were great, but the Margaritas were perfect. It's funny how a Margarita made from scratch at home can be both better and cheaper than it's restaurant-purchased counterpart.

The Margarita

I think its fair to say that we are all familiar with the Margarita. At the very least, most people have imbibed a neon colored tequila drink at some shoddy Mexican restaurant once in their lives. Its history, however, is much more interesting than the drink most people get served. It's hardly traditional to the Mexican culture. In fact, if it weren't for American prohibition, this drink would never have come to be. 

In the late 1800s a cocktail came into vogue known as the Daisy. It was a simple variation on the sour: alcohol, sugar, lemon juice, and orange liqueur. A couple of decades later, after the passing of the 18th amendment, Mexico became the popular place for an American to (legally) get a drink. Wealthy Americans would commonly travel to Mexican resorts to relax and wet their whistle, doing their best to order cocktails they were familiar with at these Mexican restaurants and bars. A little after repeal journalists and other travelers started talking about the "Tequila Daisy" they'd been tippling south of the border. Imagine, if you will, an American customer trying to explain to a Mexican bartender how to make a drink like the Daisy. Of course they'd be starting with tequila, and limes were much more common than lemons in Mexico. (In fact, in Mexico there is no word for lemon, they are simply referred to as a yellow lime, or limon amarillo.) Hmmm... tequila, sugar, lime, orange liqueur... Sounds familiar, right? The icing on the cake: you'll never guess the Spanish translation for "Daisy". That's right, Margarita.

This is the basic recipe I usually start all my Margaritas with. The nice thing about it is that you can use these ratios to make a pitcher for a crowd, or just a few for you and someone special, and it can be easily adjusted to suit individual tastes. I usually try to use only lime juice, but I've made margaritas with various combinations of lemon, lime, even grapefruit with good results. Sometimes I'll include an orange in my citrus juice and omit the orange liqueur entirely for a drink that's fresher and less cloying. (This can be especially handy if you're traveling and don't want to buy a whole bottle of orange liqueur, as was our case, or if you just happen to be all out at home.) You can also use agave nectar in place of the sugar in your simple syrup for a flavor that meshes better with the tequila. Finally, if you have any fresh fruit on hand feel free to muddle it into the rest of the ingredients. I've had good luck with strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, tangerine, mango, &c. Other flavorings like cilantro or even a little hot sauce can be added too, based on people's preferences.

1 part simple syrup (1:1 water and sugar,  boiled to dissolve then cooled)

1 part citrus juice

2 parts tequila (I find most people prefer either blanco or reposado)

.25 parts orange liqueur