Grand Margarita

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Fill with ice, shake and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass or over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Optional: wipe half the glass with a lime and dip in course salt.

What makes a really good Margarita work? It’s a balance of three flavor elements:

• The tart notes brought by fresh lime juice or sour mix
• The smoky/vegetal notes brought by good tequila
• The sweet, round flavors brought by orange liqueur

Grand Marnier adds richness and complexity to any Margarita. Due to its ten-year ageing process in French oak barrels, Grand Marnier brings a deeper color, smoother texture and more delicate aroma to Margaritas, making them more refreshing and delicious. Triple sec can throw off the balance of a Margarita by adding too many sweet notes. A triple sec is not aged: “made in the morning bottled at night.” It’s made with orange essence or sometimes just orange flavoring and mixed with a neutral alcohol. As a result, triple secs lack complexity or depth. No one ever orders a triple sec on the rocks or in a sniffer, do they?

Notice the ageing complements the vegetal notes in the tequila, followed by the interplay between the orange and lime notes. The finish should not be harsh or acidic, nor sweet or cloying. That’s how you know you have a good Margarita.