Classic Margarita with Lime Oleo-Saccharum
It’s time to upgrade your classic margarita recipe with lime oleo-saccharum. Don’t worry, your basic agave-sweetened margarita is still queen. But, this marg…this one is king!
Mixing lime oleo-saccharum and fresh lime juice to make a lime sherbet (not the frozen kind) is the key to a clean boost of lime flavor and subtle sweetness. It does take some passive time to macerate and infuse the sugared-oil, as you can see in the total time. However, I promise it is so worth the wait.
Enjoy this “treat yo self” margarita.
Get the Recipe: Classic Margarita with Lime Oleo-Saccharum
Ingredients
- 2 oz reposado tequila , (or your preferred category of tequila)
- ½ oz Cointreau
- 1½ oz fresh lime sherbet
Equipment
- measuring Cups
- kitchen scale (optional)
- vegetable peeler (Y-peeler prefered)
- non-reactive bowl or jar
- citrus reamer/juicer (optional)
- Fine Mesh Strainer (optional)
- cocktail shaker
Instructions
- Make lime oleo-saccharum (using the first 4 pieces of equipment) a day in advance of making the margarita. Once you have your finished oleo-saccharum, mix ½oz (15ml) of the syrup with 1 ½oz (45ml) fresh lime juice, to make a small amount of lime sherbet.
- Now you can measure and pour each of the ingredients into an empty shaker as written. Add whole ice cubes, close, and shake for 30-45 seconds.
- Strain over fresh ice in a chilled rocks glass. Garnish with a lime slice or peel.
Notes
- If you’d like a salted rim, before mixing the cocktail, pour some kosher salt onto a flat plate. Ring the glass with a cut lime to deposit lime juice. Then, tilt the plate to gather the salt to one side and gently dip the edge of the glass into the salt. Turn the glass until you come full circle. (If you want a picture perfect, fully salted salted rim, dip or paint the rim with a thin layer of agave syrup. Then rotate the glass into the salt as directed above.)
- The oleo-saccharum can be made a week in advance. It’s best to make the sherbet fresh, as lime juice has a tendency to change flavor with age.
- Speaking of fresh lime juice. I like to pre-strain my squeezed lime juice before I add it to the cocktail shaker, because I am a klutz and I will spill something while double straining (using a hawthorne and fine mesh strainer at the same time). Work smart not hard and know thyself folks!
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! If you prefer curaçaos (orange peel infused brandy) to triple-secs (orange peel infused neutral spirits made from sugar beets), then Grand Marnier or Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao work nicely as replacements. Please note, you might need a splash of extra lime juice, if you use a curaçao, because the brandy is going to impart some extra sweetness. If you like margs on the sweeter side, you’re all set!
You can do one of two things:
1. Add some more oleo-saccharum (1/2tsp or 2.5ml at a time) directly to your cocktail and stir.
2. Stir in some agave (1/4tsp or 1.25ml at a time) to cut the lime and add sweetness.
Play around and see what works for you!
Easy peasy, give it an extra lime squeezy! (1tsp or 5ml at a time) I know! I couldn’t help myself! I won’t apologize!
The larger the ice cube(s) you use when shaking, the less watered down your drink will be, as there is less surface area. No crushed ice please.
According to Difford’s guide to tequila, there are 7 categories of tequila. The first 5 have to do with aging. Blanco is typically rested for less than 2 months in stainless steel tanks and then bottled. Joven, is a mix of blanco and reposado tequilas. Reposado, “rested” tequila is aged in oak casks for at least 60 days and up to 1 year. Anejo “old” tequilas are aged in oak for between 1-3 years. And, extra anejos (you get the naming by now), are aged in oak casks for at least 3 years. The last two categories are less about aging and more about filtering and flavor. Curados are essentially infused tequilas and Cristalinos are tequilas that have been filtered with charcoal to make them (you guessed it!) crystal clear.
