A strawberry margarita is the perfect, refreshing drink for spring and summer. Our journey took us deep into the heart of the Altaplanicie Mexicana, with our first stop at Máximo Bistrot. There, over an unforgettable dinner, we sipped our first strawberry margarita—crafted with fresh syrup and an exceptional mezcal. Then we realized there’s more than one way to pelar un gato (skin a cat). In other words, there’s more than one way to make a margarita, and they are many wonderful and different margaritas.
Traditionally, a margarita is made with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. It’s served in a distinctive glass, rimmed with salt and garnished with a lime wheel. Like many classic cocktails, the margarita’s origin is the subject of debate, but most agree it emerged in the late 1930s. Since then, bartenders and mixologists have reimagined it in every possible way, crafting a full spectrum of flavors and colors.
Tequila or Mezcal?
In the U.S., tequila is the go-to spirit. Made from a single variety of agave and cooked in ovens, it has a clean, crisp profile. From clear and youthful to rich, barrel-aged varieties, tequila has earned its place among the world’s great spirits.
Mezcal, on the other hand, is still something of a hidden gem outside of Mexico and the American Southwest. Produced primarily in Oaxaca from a range of agave species and roasted in underground pits, mezcal is known for its smoky, complex character. It’s gaining popularity and adds remarkable depth to cocktails—especially margaritas. The good news? You can use either mezcal or tequila in your recipe. The choice is yours.
A Word About Margaret
Margaret who? Some say the margarita was named after actress Peggy (Margaret) Lee; others insist it was a Dallas socialite. Whatever the truth, the name stuck—and so did the cocktail.
And just one last thing…
Join me on the Margarita Trail this summer and taste the rainbow! Print
Strawberry Margarita
Mezcal, Strawberry, Orange and Lime
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- 1 oz strawberry syrup
- 2 oz mezcal or tequila
- 1/4 oz cointreau
- 1/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 2 strawberry slices – for garnish
- Roses grenadine – to rim the glass
- Half sugar, half spicy margarita salt
Instructions
- Fill a shaker halfway with ice
- Add the strawberry syrup, mezcal, cointreau and lime juice to a shaker with ice
- Shake with vim and vigor until ice cold
- Use grenadine to rim a double rocks glass with the sugar – spicy salt mix
- Strain and pour into the glass
- Drop 1 strawberry slice into the drink along the side and garnish the rim with a slice of berry