Margarita!

[beans]

True, a Margarita is one of the best drinks when the sun shines! Here's an article that covers the basics of this lovely concoction. The best part of the article, IMO:

SONORAN APPLE MARGARITA

Yield: 1 margarita

1 1 /2 ounces El Tesoro Blanco tequila 1 ounce Apple Pucker Dash of Midori 1 /4 ounce lime mix (sweet and sour) Pinch of cinnamon

Procedure: Rim glass with sugar. Shake and serve on the rocks with a Granny apple wedge garnish.

Source: Mezcal

SANGRITA ROJO

Yield: About 4 shots

12 ounces orange juice 4 ounces lime juice 2 tablespoons grenadine Salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Procedure: Shake and fill a rocks glass about halfway. Serve with a shot of tequila on the side.

Source: Mezcal

Read about it here.

Cheers!

[slkinsey]

Interesting article. Sounds like they prefer their margaritas a lot sweeter than I do mine, as they use something they call "Mezcal mix" (water, sugar and lime juice) instead of just lime juice. To my taste, the triple sec provides all the sweetness the drink needs.

It's worthy of note that the basic formula for a margarita (base liquor, triple sec and citrus juice) works fantastically in a wide variety of combinations. This formula is what Gary Regan calls a "New Orleans sour" in The Joy of Mixology, and it includes such favorites as the margarita and cosmopolitan. Just last night, Fat Guy and I were poking through his liquor cabinet looking for something to make into a cocktail. I thought of the NO sour formula and we ended up throwing together some Cane rum, Cointreau triple sec and lime juice. It was damn tasty.

[markovitch]

I've been to that bar. They've done to the margarita what countless joints have done to the martini (good or bad, I will not judge)

[beans]

More on Margarita variations here from Newsday for tomorrow.

And for a frosty variation on what they list -- cube (bite sized work good) a watermelon and lay on a parchment/wax paper lined baking sheet. Do not let the pieces touch. Cover with plastic cling wrap. Place into the freezer. When frozen solid, place the cubes into a ziploc baggie and use those instead of ice cubes when making a frozen watermelon margarita with your blender.

Cheers!