Disclaimer: This post is due to an email I received at work and not because I enjoyed the new show Big Sexy last night on TLC (click here for a review). Did I mention that Tiffany Bank @replied one of my tweets? Woohoo!
Anyhow, back to the business of making a margarita. The email I received was to ask The Golden Lion to start buying "skinny" margarita mix. The person sending the email was diabetic. Fair enough question, BUT those skinny mixes are full of artificial sweeteners and other chemicals. I'm no expert in diabetes, so I might be wrong in presuming that the natural sugars found in fresh fruit are acceptable.
That being said, skip the fake mix. Skip the sour mix. Skip all the mixes and try a "Mark-A-Rita"! I don't care for sour mix in a margarita, so this is how I make them at home.
Original Mark-A-Rita
2 oz Sauza® gold tequila
3/4 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
1/2 medium lime, juiced
Chill a cocktail glass (aka martin glass) with ice. In a shaker half-filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake until cold & frothy. Dump ice from cocktail glass and strain ingredients into the frosty glass. Enjoy!
The above is how I prefer my margaritas. No sour mix, no salt, no lime. All the flavor you need is right in the glass. I have substituted other tequilas in. I particularly enjoyed this recipe with Agavero® and Partida® Blanco. Agavero has a yummy sweetness to it, while Partida Blanco adds some subtle citrus flavors. Options you might enjoy include salting the martini glass or serving over ice in a double old-fashioned glass with salt.
You can shave a few more calories and go au natural by grabbing a bottle of Tierras® Blanco Organic tequila. You should be able to find a bottle for under $40. Ditch the Cointreau and go with this all fresh fruit recipe.
Mark-A-Rita On A Diet
2 oz Tierras® Blanco tequila
1 whole lime, juiced
1/2 orange, juiced
Combine all ingredients into a shaker half-filled with ice. Really shake it up. You want all those flavors bouncing up against each other. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or over ice into a double old-fashioned glass. Enjoy the circus of flavors!
This might not be a solution for a diabetic person looking for sugar-free alternatives. But, these recipes are closer to natural than your average margarita. Tastier too! Further, remember that "sour mix" much like "frozen daiquiri mix" did not exist when these classic cocktails were created. Retro is in.
The Links:
tikitender.com - my website for drink recipes and good times
tiffanybank.net - home of my new "celebrity" crush
goldenlioncafe.com - my main work venue. check out the cocktails menu.
agavero.com - tequila for lovers
partidatequila.com - traditional tequila meets cutting edge technology
tierrastequila.com - the first USDA certified organic tequila to hit the states
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