Science Of Drink

I am very happy now. My blog work again! Thanks to my brother (and admin of this blog) for this.

Let me celebrate this event with two my favorite shooters:

Electric Banana

1 part banana liqueur
1 part silver tequila
Build (layer) ingredients (chilled) in a shooter.

Brave Bull

1 part coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
1 part silver tequila
Build (layer) ingredients (chilled) in a shooter.

Let`s go!

Undoubtedly Margarita is unique cocktail. This symbol of cocktails has simple composition and unlimited tastes ability. And of course Margarita is very popular cocktail, which we can find every bar. And this make Margarita cocktail most bastardised cocktail on the world.

The story of invention of Margarita is very unclear. I know about five “inventors” at least. If you interesting by this stoty, you can find some facts here.

This post about my search of Ideal or Ultimate Margarita. I started with recipe of my first Margarita.

Margarita (Salvatore Calabrese)

30 ml premium tequila 100% agava
20 ml Cointreau
30 ml fresh lime juice
Shake with a lot of crushed ice. Strain in to cocktail glass with salt rimm.

Take your favorite metal shaker. No matter boston or cobbler shaker, I think. Usually I use my cobbler shaker shaker for my Margarita. Fill shaker on 1/2 or 2/3 (depending on volume of shaker) with crushed ice. Pour tequila, Cointreau and fresh pressed, double strained lime juice. Shake hard untill shaker frost (30 sec). Strain in cocktail glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with piece of lime (optional).

Wet glass rim with a piece of lime and gentle salt it for your perfect salt rim.

Use only best 100% agava tequila for your Margarita. Only 100% agava help us to obtain excellent results. I use tequila Leyenda de Milagro for my Ultimate Margarita.

I think that sugar syrup is no good choice for Ultimate Margarita with premium tequila. I prefer to decrease of amount of lime juice for less sour cocktail. I think that crushed ice for shake is best choice for very cold and optimal diluted cocktail.

I tested several Margaitas with different tequilas (Milagro, Jose Cuervo, Olmeca). Actually only 100% agava tequila give perfect cocktail. Ordinary tequila give us mediocre result.

You may serve Margarita straight, on the rocks and frozen. I tested this three kind of Margarita for better understanding this cocktail. For my “Margarita on the rocks” I use Jeffrey Morgentaller`s recipe:

Margarita on the rocks

40 ml tequila
20 ml Cointreau
10 ml fresh lime juice
10 ml fresh lemon juice
10 ml simple syrup
Shake. Strain on the rocks, garnish with a salr rim and lime wheel.

Actually this Margarita on the rocks is admirable cocktail. This cocktail has light, smooth and refreshing taste. The balance of sour and sweet taste is perfect!

I use common recipe of Frozen Margarita from wiki.webtender.

Frozen Margarita

60 ml tequila
30 ml Cointreau
30 ml lime juice
Shake (or blend). Serve in margarita glass, salt-rimmed. Garnish with a piece of lime.

This is very refreshing sourless cocktail. I think that one or two dash of sugar syrup is great idea for Frozen Margarita. No sense to use ultrapremium tequila with this amount of crushed ice. Ordinary good quality tequila (like a Jose Cuervo Classico or Reposado) is best choice for Frozen Margarita.

Some results of this experiments are:

1. I prefer my Ultimate Magarita from ultrapremium tequila straight, with gentle salt rim, no garnish.

2. For ordinary tequilas I prefer Margarita “on the rocks” in half-salt rimmed glass with a lime wheel.

3. Garbage in, garbage out! This rule work extremely well with Margarita.

I find some interesting information about cocktail Margarita in book The Thinking Bartender by George Sinclair, which I download from George Sinclair`s blog last year. This blog is dead now… Anybody know where is George???

I use another my 100% agava tequila - Los Arango Reposado for experiments with Ultimate Margarita ratio.

2:1:1 Margarita (Francisco “Pancho” Morales)

40 ml tequila 100% agava
20 ml Cointreau
20 ml fresh lime juice
Shake with ice, and then strain into chilled cocktail glass, which is rimmed with salt.

Amazing sour less Margarita with bright tequila taste. Very good ratio for premium tequila.

3:1:1 Margarita (Margaret Sames)

45 ml tequila 100% agava
15 ml Cointreau
15 ml fresh lime juice
Shake with ice, and then strain into a chilled champagne glass (saucer style), which is rimmed with salt.

Strong and sour less Margarita. The strength obstruct tequila taste and cocktail has crude taste.

3:2:1 Margarita (Carlos “Danny” Herrera)

45 ml tequila 100% agava
22,5 ml Cointreau
15 ml fresh lime juice
Shake with ice, and then strain into a chilled champagne glass (saucer style), which is rimmed with salt.

This cocktail has interesting and well-balanced less sour citrus taste. My wife like this version very much.

1:1:1 Margarita (Danny Negrete)

30 ml tequila 100% agava
30 ml Cointreau
30 ml fresh lime juice
Shake with ice, and then strain into a chilled champagne glass (saucer style), which is rimmed with salt.

This cocktail is not bad, but tequila taste is no bright. This ratio is not for premium tequila, as for me.

In my opinion none of the described ratio is “ultimate”. I like sour and bright Margarita as my first Margarita :) This love from first sight, I think :) The taste of Margarita in ratio 3:2:3 is almost ultimate… Very close ratio has cocktail Tequila from book Cocktails and Mixed Drinks by Anthony Hogg.

Tequila Cocktail (Anthony Hogg)

30 ml tequila 100% agava
15 ml Cointreau
30 ml fresh lime juice
Shake with ice, and then strain into chilled cocktail glass, which is rimmed with salt (optional).

Admirable cocktail! This version is very close to my favorite. Sour, refresh and bright cocktail.

I drink Margarita cocktail during 2 week but find no Ultimate Margarita except my favorite first Margarita. But I purshased several new bottle of tequila. One of them is unique Leyenda de Milagro Selected Barrel Anejo, tequila aged more then 3 years under control of Mexican government (wtf?). I decide tp prepare Ultrapremium Margarita from this tequila.

/skipped by autor, for Ultrapremium Margarita see here/

For ultimate understanding construction of Margarita Cocktail I tested Margarita with juice of lemon instead lime juice. I prepare cocktail in my favorite ratio 3:2:3. For this experiment I use one of my new tequilas - Leyenda de Milagro Reposado 100% agava.

I obtain result like comparsion Kamikaze with Balalika. Cocktail with lime juice has more bright, sharp and refreshing taste. Cocktail with lemon juice has smooth and sweet taste. My choice is lime, of course.

Oh my God! The search of Ultimate Margarita is miracle and very pleasant process! Thanks God for Margarita Cocktail!

I am in love now :) My new love is Margarita! Margarita cocktail is my TOP-1 now. I discover this cocktail during last ten days. As result I has two new bottle of tequila and many different Margaritas.

On of my new tequila is ultrapremium Leyenda de Milagro Selected Barrel Anejo (82 USD). I use this extraordinary spirit for construction of Ultrapremium Margarita. I now, that common case anejo tequila is not right ingredient for Margarita. The spirits of this quality usually reserved for sipping, not for mixed drinks. But I purshase this tequila for one of my new Margarita in my Ultimate Margarita search.

For my Ultrapremium Margarita I use anejo tequila, fresh lime juice and Grand Marnier liqueur in ratio 3:1:1. The cost of these three ingredients is more than 125$ Not bad, as for me!

Ultrapremium Margarita

45 ml ultrapremium anejo tequila 100% agava
15 ml Grand Marnier
15 ml fresh lime juice
Shake with a lot of crushed ice, and then strain into chilled cocktail glass, which is half-rimmed with salt.

I create this individual post about Ultrapremium Margarita because this is very special cocktail. The taste of this Margarita more closer to Side Car. Actually it is great cocktail which has rich and strong taste. This cocktail is no comparable to my over Margarita.

One more margarita on my blog. This cocktail is rare chance to use watermelon liqueur. I has one bottle of it - Marie Brizzard Watermelon no so artificial as I suppose. The taste of ripe watermelon is great sign of summer, and this cocktail is drink with great summer taste arround year.

Watermelon Margarita

30 ml silver tequila
30 ml watermelon liqueur
40 ml margarita mix
Shake witk a lot of cracked ice. Serve in cocktail or margarita glass. Garnish with piece if fruit.

Margarita mix is a mix of equal parts of fresh lemon, lime juice, Cointreau and gomme syrup.

Admirable!

This modern cocktail has unusual candy taste. I think is a good choice for party-bar in summer.It is so delicious concoction with big amount of liquid and sugar. Great choice for girls on dance floor :)

Tutti Frutti

20 ml passion fruit liqueur
20 ml melon liqueur
20 ml silver tequila
100 ml cranberry juice
Shake liqueurs and tequila. Strain in ice-filled collins glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

Admirable!

In first summer day I explore Strawberry Margarita. This cocktail has delicious frutty taste and perfect balance of sweet and sour taste. This cocktail ideal for romantic june evening.

Strawberry Margarita

60 ml tequila
30 ml Cointreau
30 ml fresh lime juice
45 g fresh strawberries
Mudle strawberries with fresh lime juice. Add cracked ice and others ingredients and shake. Serve in margarita glass with salt rim. Garnish with slice of strawberries.

Excellent cocktail! For this recipe I advice to use 100% agave tequila for real “margarita” taste.

You may prepare “more” strawberry Margarita too:

Strawberry Margarita #2

60 ml silver tequila
15 ml Cointreau
15 ml strawberry liqueur
30 ml fresh lime juice
45 g fresh strawberries
Mudle strawberries with fresh lime juice. Add cracked ice and others ingredients and shake. Serve in margarita glass with salt rim. Garnish with slice of strawberries.

Admirable!

Margarita is beautiful cocktail. I love it!!! This recipe was found here.

Cadillac Margarita

60 ml tequila (100% agave)
30 ml Grand Marnier
20 ml fresh lime juice
10 ml gomme syrup
Shake. Margarita glass with coarse salt.

Admirable!

My new tequila work well in this cocktail. It is so refreshing with light bitterness of lime.

Exorcist

45 ml tequila
20 ml blue curacao
20 ml fresh lime juice
Shake. Cocktail glass.

Admirable!

Another beautifull strawberry cocktail for St. Valentins Day (or 8 March Day…).

Tequila Fresa

45 ml tequila
20 ml strawberry liqueur
15 ml fresh lime juice
2 dash orange bitters
Shake. Cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist and strawberry.

Admirable!

Actually I don`t have orange bitters in my liquor cabinet. Therefor I prepare a substitute of it as described here.

My first 100% Agava tequila - Los Arango Reposado and my first Margarita

I have my first bottle of 100% agave tequila in my liquor cabinet. It is Los Arango Reposado (41 USD for 0,75 l bottle).

Los Arango Tequila Reposado - The name “Los Arango” is in honor of Doroteo Arango, better known to history as “Pancho Villa”, a famous revolutionary leader and one of Mexico’s great heroes. Los Arango Tequila is expertly crafted at an 18th century hacienda distillery, and is dedicated to Pancho Villa’s name and memory. The secret behind this premium Tequila is 100% agave, hand crafted, and bottled by hand.Hacienda practices old-school, artisanal methods of tequila production, including aging in barrels crafted from three kinds of oak. Los Arango is considered the ultimate example of the tequila distillers art. From www.tequila.net

The smell and taste of this tequila at room temperature (from snifter) are perfect! For sure this tequila is sip-worthy liquor. After first sip of Los Arango I decided to compare over my tequilas with this excellent tequila. The results are:

Pepe Lopez Premium Silver (24 USD 0,75 л) - very bad (vrong smell and taste);

Sierra Reposado Gold (26 USD 0,7 л) - very bad (very spirituose smell and taste);

Olmeca Blanco (25 USD 0,75 л) - not very bad, but bad (aromatic smell with little of spitituose, hard taste);

El Charro Gold & Blanco (26 USD 1,0 л) - not bad (not bad smell and taste, for this money ;) );

Jose Cuervo Blanco (37 USD 1,0 л) - good (very aromatic tequila with right taste).

Of course I tested my new tequila in cocktail. I prepare my first Margarita!

Margarita

30 ml tequila (100% agave)
30 ml fresh lime juice
20 ml Cointreau
Shake with a lot of cracked ice. Cocktail glass (or magarita, or champagne saucer) with coarse salt.

Admirable cocktail! Perfect taste of tequila with acute freshness of lime is very good for me. But I prefer to increase of amount of tequila.