Classic Cadillac Margarita Cocktail Recipe

At team Salt & Wind Travel, we see eye-to-eye on almost everything.

Truly, there are very few things that divide us.

Want to see what we're talking about? Just to name a few things: we all adore cooking Italian food, love traveling to Mexico, have an unending desire to explore Mexico City, and we all hate cotton candy!

But of those few things that we don't agree on, nothing divides us quite as much as one topic: how to make the best classic margarita cocktail. Even when you take away all the fancier options -- ahem, Skinny Margarita, Spicy Margarita, or Charred Citrus Margarita -- we still can't agree. That's because we don't on the most basic of basics like if the cocktail should be salt-rimmed, whether it should have orange liqueur, or what type of tequila to use.

Despite that, there are things we agree on: all of us prefer a margarita on the rocks, all of us like those rocks to be cracked (not crushed!), and we only ever use freshly-squeezed lime juice. And all of us like this version of a Classic Cadillac Margarita!

The Basic Margarita Recipe Formula

We already went over the various origin stories behind the classic Margarita when we covered the must-try classic food and drink from Baja California. But we didn't mention the formula.

If you were to create a cocktail family tree, you'd find that the Margarita falls squarely in the sour cocktail family. A sour is a cocktail that combines a liqueur with some citrus juice (usually lime or lemon) and a sweetener. According to the IBA -- the authority on all things alcohol -- the official ratio is 10 parts tequila to 4 parts triple sec/sweetener to 3 parts lime juice though you'll find all sorts of variations on that!

Cadillac Margarita Versus Regular Margarita

Along those lines, the classic Margarita is a sour cocktail made with tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur. So, you're now wondering what is a Cadillac Margarita, right? Well, a Cadillac Margarita is a premium version -- hence the reference to the most classic of luxury vehicles -- of that same drink.

Not only is top-shelf liqueur used but also golden liquor is used, which is why you sometimes hear it called a Golden Cadillac Margarita. What do we mean by golden? Well, traditionally the golden-colored liqueur Grand Marnier - a brandy-based take on triple sec - is used instead of clear-colored triple sec. Also, the straw-colored reposado tequila, which is aged a minimum of two months in oak barrels -- is used instead of silver (aka Blanco aka Plata) tequila.

Tips To Make A Perfect Cadillac Margarita Cocktail

Regardless of how you have it there are a few key tips to help you shake up cocktail perfection:

• Use 100% Agave Tequila: The truth is you're supposed to use reposado tequila in order to call the cocktail a Cadillac. But, if you want to use silver tequila or the more aged, Añejo style, we say go for it. Just pinky promise us that you'll only use 100% agave tequila (check the label to confirm) and to steer clear of the swill that is mixto tequila.
• Choose A Quality Triple Sec: Just to be 100% clear -- triple sec is not a brand name but rather a style of orange liqueur. It's similar to Curacao liqueur but it tends to be drier and originated in France. While there are plenty of crappy, low-grade bottles in your local liquor store labeled "Triple Sec" there are, in fact, high-end styles of the liqueur–like Cointreau or Grand Marnier–that are good enough to drink on their own. As we said before Grand Marnier -- a brandy-based triple sec -- is the de facto liquor for a classic Cadillac margarita.
• Take The Time To Make The Cracked Ice: As we said, this cocktail is classically served up and not on ice so feel free to make it that way if you'd like. For our version, we like pebble-sized pieces of ice and we crush it by hand. Yes, it takes some extra effort but it's very much worth it.
• Use Freshly-Squeezed Lime Juice: We'll say it over and over until we're blue in the face: please only use freshly-squeezed juices in your cocktails. If you're making a big batch of margaritas, you can by all means juice a ton of limes up to one day ahead and have it ready to go -- just please never use the bottled junk!
• Use Agave Syrup If You'd Like: We like to make our Cadillac Margaritas with one major twist from the classic: by using agave syrup in addition to the triple sec. We do this because we feel that the triple sec on its own can be a lot of orange flavors but you still need a decent amount of sweetener for a balanced cocktail. We take a page from the original agave syrup-based margarita, known as the Tommy's Margarita and created by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's bar in San Francisco in the 1990s, and add a touch of agave syrup to the mix.
  If that's not for you, no sweat. Feel free to leave it out and instead just add more of the triple sec.
• Salt The Rim With Style: Whether you want your margarita with or without salt? That's 100% your personal choice. But, if you are going to add salt, you have a couple of options of how to do it. The most classic way is to put salt on the entire rim, which is done by rubbing the cut-side of lime against the rim of a cocktail glass and then rolling that in a plate of salt.
  
  We like half salt meaning that only part of the rim has salt on it. To do that, we rub the cut side of the lime in one specific part of the glass and then dip that section so that, as it sounds, only part of the glass is salted.
  Then, of course, you can mix up the salt as you please! Try a different style of salt, be it the flaky Maldon or pink Himalayan salt, or add some flavor to your salt like say some thyme leaves, some chili powder, or dried hibiscus flowers!

Variations On The Cadillac Margarita Cocktail

Once you've shaken up a few Classic Cadillac Margaritas, you may want to mix it up a bit. Here are a few of our favorite twists -- some spicy, others sweet, and some charry -- to try out:

• Papaya Mango Frozen Margarita Cocktail
• Spicy Kumquat Thyme Margarita Cocktail
• Charred Citrus Margarita Cocktail
• Spicy Kiwi Margarita Cocktail

Need some inspiration for what to serve with your oh-so-perfect Margarita? Take a look at these recipes that are perfect for a Mexican-themed feast!

If you need to up your home bar, check out our bar essentials. Then have fun shaking it up and be sure to share your results with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!