Cocktails Volume 1: Margarita or Mojito?

Anyone who knows me knows I enjoy a good cocktail. Those who know me better also know that the Alpha Chef and I both used  to be bartenders. Very happy bartenders, I might add. In fact, if it wasn't for the horrible dermatitis I get on my hands when they are washed, soaked in alcohol and squeezing citrus too much and the shitty benefits, I'd probably be a bartender to this day. It's very similar to being a therapist, except you facilitate their relapses, listen well according to how much they tip, when they're jackasses you can kick them out and you don't have to write progress notes...um, someone tell me why I spent five years becoming a mental health professional again...

This post is the first in a series about summer cocktails. I will present a few of my favorites and the summer "well-stocked bar" essentials that will have you making so many variations, you'll never need a drink recipe again.

My first love is a good margarita. Making it is so simple, and yet so many people still buy that green syrupy crap to mix with (shockingly, even when in Mexico, I'm not naming any names, you know who you are!). A real margarita consists of three crucial ingredients, a fourth if you like it a bit sweeter and a fifth for interest plus a bit of club soda to top it off. That's it.

First and foremost, tequila. I prefer a 100% blue agave type, Sauza Hornitos happens to be my favorite right now. Don't fall for the Cuervo gold/1800/silver bullshit, they're all mostly corn based. Just go to the liquor store and find a tequila that says "100% agave" and buy it.

Margarita done simple. 

You'll start with a cocktail shaker, usually stainless steel with a top and a strainer. Put ice in the shaker, add a 1 oz shot of tequila. Next is the orange liqueur. There are options. You can go with a plain old triple sec or pay a bit more- okay a lot more- for Gran Marnier or Cointreau. Both are very good. Gran Marnier is sweeter, Cointreau more smoky and complex, both make a good margarita a killer margarita. Add 1/2 shot of whatever orange liqueur you choose to the shaker. Third, the limes. Using a citrus reamer, extract the juice of one lime, add to the shaker. That's the basic. If you want it sweeter, you'll add some simple syrup. Simple syrup is just that, simple. To make it, put one cup of sugar and one cup of water into a sauce pan and bring to a low boil. Remove from heat when the sugar is completely dissolved, let cool, done. It will save in the refrigerator forever- ours currently has crystals growing on it. Add the simple syrup (start with about a tsp and add to taste) to the shaker. Shake the cocktail mix until the shaker has cold condensation all over it. Pour into a glass, ice and all. At this point I'll add a pinch of kosher salt, straight into the glass. You can do this or salt the rim. To salt the rim simply take a bit of the lime and run it around the rim of the glass you're using. Put some kosher salt on a plate (or in a plastic supermarket deli container, if you're going to do this regularly) tip the glass upside down and put it in the salt, do this before you pour the liquid in. Flavor variations are endless. Simply use the above recipe and add whatever you like. Cranberry, orange, mango, pear, cherry juices (or any other juice I missed) all work well, just add a splash before shaking. Prefer blended? Add a little more ice and put it in a blender. If the mix is still too concentrated or sour, top the whole thing off with a little club soda and enjoy.

MINT!!! Makes the difference. 

Now we move to the mojito. I'm posting the margarita and the mojito together as they are just a simple variation of each other, but due to key ingredients, very, very different. For the mojito, put a generous amount of fresh mint torn into small pieces and about a tsp of simple syrup into your cocktail shaker. Using a muddle (you can find one at Target for cheap) mix the two together, add a slice of lime and continue to muddle. Once nicely mixed, add a generous amount of ice and the juice of one lime. Then add the rum of your choice. You have a lot of choices. We use dark rum- Rhum Barbancourt- it adds a more complex taste but this is not the traditional mojito. You can use a plain white rum (traditonal), Captain Morgan, whatever. Add about 1 1/2 oz shot into the shaker.

Mojito!!

Shake until very cold (see the bit about condensation above) and pour into a glass. Add club soda (basically any sparkling water) to fill and serve with a whole sprig of mint and a slice of lime. This recipe without the mint would equal a daiquiri (see? once you know the basics, it's very simple), adding ice and blending would give you the more traditional restaurant daiquiri experience. To the mojito you can add juice to flavor differently, as I did for the margarita.

There you go. Two simple summer cocktail recipes that do not include gross, pre-made, preservative filled mixers. It's quite simple people! Stay tuned, more cocktails to come.