Champagne Margarita Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in margaritas? ›

We'll just tell you upfront: The secret to a tasty margarita is freshly squeezed lime juice (not the bottled stuff) and—here's the real secret—a splash of fresh OJ. That's right. Fresh-squeezed juice from an actual orange (not an orange-flavored liqueur) will produce a cleaner-tasting, more refreshing margarita.

Sometimes, achieving balance requires a bit of surrender. For years, I swore by the countdown margarita: Shake three parts tequila, two parts orange liqueur and one part fresh lime juice, then serve on the rocks with salt.

Try swapping regular orange juice for blood orange juice, or use different fresh fruit juice altogether. Cranberry juice, apple cider, grapefruit juice, or pomegranate juice would all be great choices.

Nothing better than combining a whole bottle (or two or three) of bubbly with some juice or fizzy soda to really wow your guests. Try our brunch punch (with pineapple and orange juice) or our peach Prosecco punch (with a little seltzer added so it's not so boozy).

A splash of fruit juice can also add some more flavor to your margaritas. Grapefruit juice will give a tart, slightly sour flavor, while pineapple juice creates a more tropical-tasting drink. "Citrus-based juices are essential for balancing out the sweetness of a margarita," David Alan told Insider.

If you don't have triple sec handy, you can substitute with another good-quality orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau. For a non-alcoholic substitute you can add fresh orange juice, or agave nectar/simple syrup, to add a touch of sweetness.

Tequila

Margarita / Main alcohol

Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila 65 km northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco.

Wikipedia

"Put into a wine glass one lump of Sugar, and saturate it with Angostura Bitters. Having added to this 1 lump of Ice, fill the glass with Champagne, squeeze on top a piece of lemon peel, and serve with a slice of orange."

What can make Champagne taste better? ›

Adding citrus juice to a Champagne co*cktail not only gives it a delightful punch of acid, but Nugent points out that it balances the sugar in the drink. Together, citrus and sugar work like seasoning on steak, he says, brightening and magnifying the base flavors.

Does champagne have more alcohol or calories than other types of wine? The strength of champagne is usually around 12%, which means that it contains 12% pure alcohol. That's around the same amount of alcohol typically found in other sparkling wines, like prosecco or cava.

Under Champagne wine regulations, houses that make both vintage and non-vintage wines are allowed to use no more than 80% of the total vintage's harvest for the production of vintage Champagne. This allows at least 20% of the harvest from each vintage to be reserved for use in non-vintage Champagne.

Don't pair your bubbly with flavours that are too overpowering. You'll want to avoid food that is overly spicy or bitter or sugary. Don't go too heavy. Save your rich osso bucco casserole for another night (with red wine, mmmm).

The "Original Margarita" recipe, as given by Cointreau on their website, has slightly more of their own sweet liqueur: 1 part white tequila, 1⁄2 part Cointreau, and 1⁄2 part fresh squeezed lime juice.

Triple sec, a term used interchangeably with curaçao, is a type of orange liqueur that provides fruity flavors as well as sweet and bitter notes — all of which are essential for a well-made Margarita. Popular labels include Cointreau, Combier, Pierre Ferrand Curaçao, and Grand Marnier.

Cointreau is a type of triple sec with a significantly higher alcohol content.

The dirty margarita takes its inspiration from the dirty martini, a classic libation made with strong liquor and a splash of a little something not-so-clear. We swap olive juice for jalapeno brine, making this a drink that packs the heat–and a punch.