Almost Perfect

Julie Ortolon's recipe for The Perfect Margarita

After years of drinking oversized, restaurant-style margaritas-which are frequently made with too much limeade from a sweet-'n-sour bar mix with a splash of tequila and triple sec-I set about developing The Perfect Margarita. First came some research. A little mystery and controversy surrounds the true origins of the drink. The stories date back to the mid nineteen hundreds to places like Aca-pulco, Tijuana, or Rosarita Beach, Mexico. Whichever tale you believe, an authentic margarita is a small drink that's strong enough to make breathing near an open flame a tiny bit dangerous. So I tinkered with the recipes a bit and came up with my own version, which can be adjusted to taste.

ounces of good tequila (most recipes call for 3 ounces)

ounce Cointreau (triple sec is a less expensive option)

l 1/2 ounces of freshly squeezed lime juice (most recipes call for less)

l 1/2 ounces of Rosie's sweetened lime juice (this ingredient isn't in any of the original recipes, but I find guests grimace a bit if I don't include it.)

Shake the above with ice.

For a Traditional Margarita: Swipe the rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge and press the glass upside down into margarita salt. Fill it with crushed ice, and strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Then kick back and sip slowly.

For a Summer Drink to Quench Your Thirst: If the recipe is too tart or strong for your taste, add a splash of orange juice and just a hint of grenadine. Cointreau is an orange liqueur so this fits right in. Garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.

For a Mexican Martini: This is my personal favorite. Double the recipe above. Be sure you have lots of ice in the shaker and leave the drink in the shaker with the ice. Salt the rims of two martini glasses. Spear some jalapeno-stuffed olives wih two toothpicks. Place the spears in the glasses and serve the drink a little at a time while you sit back, relax, and enjoy!