The Secret Ingredient For An Ultra Refreshing Margarita
Margaritas are a refreshing and relatively simple cocktail, which makes them ideal when entertaining guests at home. Along with a zesting tip to make you a homemade-margarita pro, note that incorporating different ingredients can also elevate the beverage to bold new heights. In this case, consider adding some fresh mint into the mix, as the herb nicely complements the other flavors found in the drink.
Margaritas are most often made with tequila, a potent liquor known for its subtly sweet yet earthy flavor. Margaritas can also be made with mezcal, which has a smoky flavor profile. No matter which you choose, the brightness of fresh mint is a great way to offset these bold flavors and ensure the perfect balance in your cocktail.
As for how much mint to use in your homemade margarita, that ultimately depends on your flavor preferences. If you're not sure, 8 sprigs of mint (keep in mind that 1 sprig equals approximately 6 medium- to large-sized leaves) per every 6 ounces of liquor is a good ratio to start with.
How to choose the best margarita mint
There's more to meet the eye when it comes to mint. While it's best to use fresh herbs over dry when making cocktails like margaritas, you have lots of options when it comes to varieties of mint. For a tried-and-true selection, spearmint is the way to go. This type of mint has a mild sweetness that complements alcoholic beverages without obscuring the other flavors in the concoction.
If you want something a bit bolder on the palate, peppermint is a fine selection, too. This variety of mint has a little bite due to the higher concentration of menthol. Accordingly, peppermint might work best when paired with the bolder flavor of mezcal.
Classic margarita recipes call for some type of orange liqueur, in which case orange mint is a natural option. Hence the name, orange mint has a refreshing citrus-forward flavor, and thanks to the menthol, the mint also offers a nice little kick.
Tips on incorporating fresh mint into cocktails
You want to extract the most flavor possible from your herbs when creating fresh-mint margaritas, and simply adding leaves to the finished drink will not suffice. In this case, muddling the mint effectively unleashes the oils within the herbs to better incorporate them into the cocktail. This technique works with all kinds of drinks, including minty virgin mojito recipes. Not every home bartender has access to a muddler, though, in which case you can use a glass with a sturdy bottom and a utensil with a blunt end to gently crush the mint.
If you happen to have a cocktail shaker at home, you can also use it to incorporate refreshing mint flavors into your margaritas. With this method, add the fresh mint to your shaker with the other ingredients, including ice. When you shake the cocktail ingredients, the oils from the mint will be let loose as they rub against the ice. You should shake the drink for about 10 seconds to ensure all the flavors mix nicely, then pour the mixture into a glass with ice for a cool, refreshing beverage.