In some ways, the story of the modern margarita is the story of tequila. In 2018, The last time I blind-tasted a drinkI was happy to learn that margaritas had long ago moved on from the mixed tequilas that had plagued them for decades up until then, in favor of versions made with 100 percent agave. At a recent tasting, not only was all of her tequilas made from 100% agave, but 8 out of 11 had no additives.The more the industry accepts best tequila, the margarita gets even better. Today, margaritas are better than ever.
On a recent Wednesday, when the Punch editorial team gathered at Manhattan’s Super Bueno with owner Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez and Milady’s head bartender Izzy Tulloch, Jimenez told us that we were “liquor, citrus… He said he was looking for the ideal combination of “salt”. “The key is how to balance these three.”For the first element, we were looking for a tequila with a typical peppery flavor and green, vegetal tones. As for Lyme, “it takes some stimulation,” Tulloch said. That means it needs to be fresh and just the right amount to make your mouth water. When it came to salt, and whether it was on the rim of the glass or not, everyone agreed with Punch editor-in-chief Talia Baiocchi. “You should definitely eat that.”
Although each of the judges’ personal preferences were in line with Tommy’s more exacting creation of a margarita, one that derives its sweetness from agave nectar without orange liqueur, out of 11 recipes submitted, , only two followed that model. Neither could claim the top spot. Instead, two of our three favorites took a hybrid approach. Each uses orange liqueur, albeit in smaller amounts than lime, which is a big departure from the typical evenly splitting of these ingredients.
The unanimous winner was Christine Wiseman’s MargaritaA glass of 2 oz Cascawin Blanco Tequila, 1 oz lime juice, 0.5 oz Cointreau, 0.5 oz agave syrup (1:1 ratio of agave nectar to water), and half a pinch of salt. provided by. Rim and lime wheel garnish. “It’s got zip,” Tulloch admitted, but it also had the right amount of body without being too sweet. And while it contains orange liqueur, which can give the drink an unpleasant confectionery flavor, it was the tequila that shined. “Tequila is so beautiful,” Jimenez said. “[This one] It really stands out from the rest. ”
Second place went to Natasha Bermudez. whose margarita You will need Tapatio Blanco tequila, three-quarters of an ounce of lime juice, and half an ounce each of Cointreau and light agave syrup. The judges decided that the tequila was present and, in Mr. Tulloch’s words, “stuck,” and backed by the typical citrus-salty notes of a classic marg, we all know It showed off the classic peppery qualities I was looking for. The judges’ only concern was with the rim of the tagine, which counterintuitively made the drink taste sweet, almost too sweet. The sal de gusano, the side dish recommended by Mr. Bermudez, might have been preferred.
The third place was chosen by Jana Wolfson’s MargaritaUsing Tapatio 110 as a base, it’s combined with 1 ounce of lime juice and 0.5 ounces each of Giffard and Combier triple sec. Drinking lean (the only one of the top three not using agave syrup), it was liked by several judges and had “literally the perfect taste,” Tulloch said.
Overall, participants painted a picture of the classic cocktail reaching its full potential. A reputation for high-quality, pure tequila combined with a more lime-forward structure make this drink a surefire drink to order. Now, according to Tulloch, a margarita is “like pizza. Even if it’s bad, it’s still a good drink.”
