The Ultimate Margarita

How To Improve Cheap Tequila

2013-05-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

Uh oh - its late in the day on Cinco de Mayo and you have run out of the good tequila, but still need to produce a boatload of margaritas for your guests (or yourself). The only thing left in your stock is some really cheap stuff that you bought before you knew any better. Practically full and tucked behind the Boone's Farm (another failed experiment when you thought about becoming a wine snob) it attests to a darker period during your margarita journey. If only it had some redeeming value, it could be the saving grace for your poor planning, which begs to ask the question: is there a way to improve on cheap tequila when making margaritas????

As it just so happens, there is - pour it out! NOT! That would be sacrilege...sort of. The reality is that you can't really improve it, but you can influence the taste in a positive manner when dealing with margaritas.

I typically keep both cheap and premium tequila on hand for my margaritas. I use the cheap stuff in frozen drinks, cause the tequila taste is usually overpowered by the ingredients, which is fine. Plus, with frozen, I'm dealing with a large volume margarita machine and cheap stuff poured in large quantities fits the budget so much better than say a Don Julio 1942, which would be a waste in a sea of strawberries.

But when it comes to ROCKS, you want to use a premium brand, as the tequila flavor will influence the final concoction, which should be treated more like a work-of-art, than just another drink.

So what happens when the liquor store is closed and you want a good margarita, but only have the cheap stuff left (Poor planning obviously on your part)???? Simple trick - throw in a shot of brandy. It gives a more robust flavor to the less than stellar stuff, which makes for an instant improvement. It's also a good way to trick a blanco tequila into thinking its a reposado... ok, maybe not that great, but anything is better than a blanco in my opinion when dealing with a margarita on the rocks. (Blanco is fine for frozen.)

So never fear if your tequila is weak and the liquor store is closed, just throw in that shot of brandy and all will be better...of course there is that one small detail of - do you have any brandy on hand...probably not...

Legendary Margarita With 1800 Kicker - Texas Roadhouse - Tinley Park, IL

2013-05-01T16:00:00.000-04:00

Texas Roadhouse really sounds like its more of a beer kind of place, but they have done a great job with their margaritas and seem to be getting better. I have reviewed a couple of locations and drinks before and they all did well. My latest foray into their margarita selections took place at the Texas Roadhouse location in Tinley Park, IL during a recent business trip.

This time around, they have renamed their Original Margarita as the Legendary Margarita - a bold step I might add, but not out-of-line as it turns out. The basic recipe of the Legendary Margarita as described by the Texas Roadhouse menu looks like this:

Our Original Margaritas have three tequilas and are specially blended with our signature sweet and sour, orange juice and agave nectar.

Available as frozen or rocks its a pretty good starting point, pretty much a 3 Limer in the grand scheme of things. But now they have stepped it up by offering some options for enhancement, served via test tube and referred to as "Kickers".

On this occasion I chose the 1800 Kicker which features: 1800 Reposado Tequila & di Amore Quattro Orange.

NICE ADDITION! It definitely took the flavor up a notch, yet maintained an excellent balance between all the flavors. Worth the extra couple of bucks.

I give the Legendary Margarita With The 1800 Kicker a 4

A special shout-out to the Staff at the Tinley Park location. Bobbi-Jo was our bartender and Billie-Jo was our waitress - great team! And then we got to meet Fed the Manager - what an entertaining guy and excellent asset to the restaurant. Someone at our table had a minor issue with his food, and Fed responded quickly and turned the whole occasion into a fun experience.

Patron Margarita - G&M Restaurant - Baltimore

2013-04-08T17:00:00.000-04:00

G&M Restaurant is well known in the Baltimore area for their crab cakes and it came highly recommended by our Hotel Staff. (It's actually out near the Baltimore Washington International airport in Linthicum Heights. )And on this particular day, it was our destination for dinner.

First stop was the bar, because there was a wait for a table - expected and not a problem, as the bar was hopping and seemed to be well-stocked...with beer, wine and basic spirits. This was obviously not a margarita haven, but when did that ever stop me from ordering one??? So the order for the bartender went like this: "Sam Adams, Yuengling, Sam Adams, Sam Adams...margarita". I couldn't help laughing, as my drink of choice just seemed so out of place.

So it should be noted that the G&M Restaurant offers ONE margarita and its actually got a name and description. The Patron Margarita looks like this: Silver Patron mixed with fresh margarita mix, served on the rocks. Wow! Impressive recipe...LOL. Thus I wasn't holding my breath for anything other than a very basic, average drink. Plus I am not a fan of Patron, especially silver. Way over-rated in my book, but it wasn't like they had a full stock of premium tequilas lining the walls.

The drink was mixed up quick and handed over to me. I took a sip and was stunned! This margarita had potential...a lot of potential. I took another sip and confirmed my first impression - this drink was coming in at a 4 Limer. Unbelievable - it had everything working against it - average tequila, pre-mix, and no special add-ons, yet the flavor and balance was that of something much more complex.

Honestly, a margarita is a fairly simple drink that depends on the proper balance of ingredients such that its not too sweet or too sour in initial flavor, then all the other optional "stuff" simply enhances the drink. The Patron Margarita at G&M Restaurant clearly defines just how good a basic drink can be when made properly. And for the record, I had a second one which was mixed up ever bit as good as the first one - consistency is important.

Great drink, great food, great place. I highly recommend it.

Tun Tavern Margarita - Tun Tavern - Atlantic City, NJ

2013-04-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

The Tun Tavern is located adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel (same building adjacent) directly in front of the Atlantic City Convention Center, thus it might seem a bit out-of-the-way for those headed to the casinos and boardwalk area. But if you are in town for a Convention, Trade Show or Special Event, then in all likelihood you will be spending time at the Convention Center and find the Tun Tavern is the perfect spot for a quick drink or bite to eat.

It was another blustery March Night and I was staying at the Sheraton, which made the Tun Tavern the ideal spot to grab a drink and unwind after a long hard travel day. Besides, the wind was so strong that it was nearly impossible to go outside.

So I had two choices for a margarita - the basic house version or the premium version, which goes by the name of Tun Tavern Margarita (easy to remember!). Since I was in the mood to find the BEST, I decided to go with the Tun Tavern version.

The menu offered up this recipe - Alma Silver Tequila, St. Germaine and fresh squeezed limes. I always prefer handmade drinks over ones that use a bottled mix, though it's easy to screw up if the bartender doesn't pay attention, so this one definitely had my interest. On the other hand, I am not much on silver tequilas except in frozen drinks. But its not like I had much choice either...

As it turned out, the drink exceeded my expectations scoring a solid 4.. Nice balance and a unique flavor makes it worth the price.

Just for fun, I then tried the basic house margarita...what a waste. Not awful, but after drinking the Tun Tavern Margarita, it was pretty much a bust.

So if you make it in to the Tun Tavern, don't ask for a Margarita, ask for THE Tun Tavern Margarita...there is a difference!

Primarita - The Mission - Old Town Scottsdale, AZ

2013-04-04T16:00:00.000-04:00

Wandering through Old Town Scottsdale, everyone said we had to try The Mission as they had excellent margaritas. So with a recommendation like that, we figured we better find the place and see what they had going on so we could partake of the pleasure ourselves.

The Mission was bustling with business when we rolled in during the fading moments of Happy Hour. And the first thing I noticed was their excellent selection of Tequilas at the bar - always a good sign when you see the real stuff instead of the common everyday brands that I am not so fond of.

Instead of going with a House Margarita or Happy Hour concoction we asked the waitress for her recommendation which was the Primarita.

The menu describes it this way: Partida + organic agave nectar + 3 pressed limes. That was very enticing, because handmade margaritas can be some of the best you will ever have. Unfortunately they can just as quickly become some of the worst as well, if the bartender doesn't get a perfect blend between the ingredients. (I have instructions on the site for making them yourself.)

The Primaritas were delivered and in spite of all the buildup were only average at best. Sadly the mix was out-of-balance, making it too sour. (Think pucker face) Thus we drank slowly which actually helped, because as the ice melted the drink flavor improved.

Our final rating was a three for the Primaritas at The Mission in Old Town Scottsdale. But I think the place is worth another visit. No one can have that large a variety of tequila and not have some level 5 margaritas lurking somewhere on the premises.

Happy Hour Margarita - Salty Senoritas - Old Town Scottsdale, AZ

2013-04-02T16:00:00.000-04:00

Love happy hour - but usually not the happy hour drink concoctions. Cheap is good, but not when it involves the flavor. Oh well, it is what it is and I know what I am getting into.

A couple of us were wandering around Old Town in Scottsdale, AZ checking out the bar scene and we stumbled onto Salty Senoritas, which was rockin! Seemed like the place to be so we grabbed one of the outdoor tables and took advantage of the Happy Hour specials.

Ho Hum, the margarita of choice for the special was lackluster at best. Way too sweet with a not-so-good balance between mix and tequila. No matter as the tequila was probably from the bottom of the barrel... not impressed to say the least.

So the happy hour margarita at Salty Senoritas got a mere 2.0 in our rating scale. But then again it was a happy hour drink, so what do you expect. And who ever called it an Award Winning Margarita (on the menu) didn't define what award it got...

It was still a really cool place - with great music and an awesome crowd. We didn't have time to stick around and sample all their other margaritas and will look for it again next time. Not a bad place to visit, just don't have high expectations for the Happy Hour margarita.

Perfect Margarita - Applebee's - Atlantic City, NJ

2013-03-15T20:30:00.000-04:00

Nothing like March in Atlantic City....Brrrrr.... Thus its important to stay inside and warm up with a top notch Margarita! (Sounds kind of like a conflicted statement doesn't it?) But that is exactly what we did - searched out good drinks in warm environments away from the blustery streets of this NJ beach town.

On the downside, Applebee's is not anywhere close to the Casino scene, but it is at one end of the shopping district, and just across the street from the Convention Center where we happened to be. So we made a mad dash for the place against a hurricane-like wind and crashed into the bar ready for some relief.

A quick scan of the menu and there it was - the perfect margarita! Of course there is one thing that I have learned along the way and that is that the name means nothing. I can't tell you how many "perfects" have crashed and burned in my margarita adventures. So now the heat was on to see if the Applebee's perfect margarita would really live up to its name.

For sure the recipe looked pretty decent - 1800 Reposado 100% Blue Agave Tequila, Cointreau and Grand Marnier with a side shaker for multiple pours - I could hardly wait.

So out came the drink and I went for that first taste - BUENO! A solid 4 on the limer scale!

To be honest, so many chain restaurants have lackluster margaritas despite all the nice names they come up with, but in this case the perfect margarita at Applebee's really made the grade.

Mother Margarita - Senor Frogs - Orlando

2013-02-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Senor Frogs...what a place! Located on International Drive, this is one crazy night spot. We went in for dinner and then woke up the next day in our hotel rooms. Or something like that. But in between entry and exit, we had some pretty good drinks, decent food and an awesome good time.

For sure, this place has a drink menu with all kind of options including multiple margaritas. We decided to go big or go home and ordered the Mother Margaritas, which come in huge touristy containers. Didn't really care for the souvenir drinking utensil, but liked the quantity factor.

The Mother Margarita is composed of Corazon Reposado (good stuff), Corazon Blanco (ok stuff), Cointreau, Lime Juice and Sour Mix. They did a pretty decent job on the blend, something that doesn't always happen in a place like this. So the drinks really qualified as margaritas. And we drank A LOT of them...

So at the end of night - wait a minute, we didn't remember the end of the night, so make that early in the evening, we gave the Mother Margarita at Senor Frogs in Orlando a 3 lime rating.

Beyond the margarita, the fajitas were great and then the party that kicked in later was awesome. Fun place - worth a visit if you want more than a restaurant.

Pineapple Chipotle Infused Tequila - Agaves - Long Beach, CA

2013-02-12T16:00:00.000-05:00

On my first trip to Agaves we did margaritas and had a great time. On this trip we tried something totally new and different - infused tequila. This is one of their specialties and if you like margaritas you should like infused tequila drinks in general.

With a name like Pineapple Chipotle I was a bit skeptical and wary. It just didn't get me excited. But then the "daring" started and their is no way to back down from that and save face, so I did the responsible thing and ordered the drink.

On the outside it looked like an ordinary margarita. I held it up to the light - color seemed ok. Then I sniffed it. Nothing crazy there. Then with four sets of eyes staring me down I tasted it. Wow, not bad... And then another sip. Actually pretty good. Third sip - awesome stuff! "Bring me another" I shouted to the waiter who was now across the room.

I really have no idea what is in the Pineapple Chipotle Infused Tequila drink, as the menu was quite vague, listing only Jimador Silver and Citrus...duh...no secrets being given away in this place. But it was really good, so much so that it has been awarded 4 Limes.

Then someone suggested I try the Watermelon Cucumber infused tequila. I hate cucumbers! But the waiter insisted there was no cucumber taste. (Then why list it in the drink name?????????). So I got one and eagerly sampled it. Arrrrrghhhh...ick...yuck. He lied. Tasted like nothing BUT cucumber. Not for me!!! But if you like cucumber give it a whirl. I know where there is an almost full glass...

So for my purposes, the Pineapple Chipotle Infused Tequila did the trick and deserves a 4!

BTW - The week I went, they were running Infused Tequila specials on Wednesdays. Be sure to check their website for updates.

Margarita - Golden Nugget - Fremont Street - Las Vegas

2013-02-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

Love Fremont Street! Home of 99 cent margaritas, $8.99 prime rib, cheap gambling, zip lining, outdoor stages and of course the awesome light show overhead. But not everything is cheap, so you do have to shop around for the best deals. And never confuse price with quality. A $10 margarita is not necessarily better than a 99 cent one.

Such is the case with the Gold Diggers Bar in the Golden Nugget Casino. The place catches your eye while out on Fremont Street because it has an outdoor balcony overlooking the action. In fact their slogan is: "Come For The Party - Stay For The View". Some guy shoved some drink coupons in our hands and steered us towards the elevator, so up we went to the Gold Diggers Bar. The first thing we discovered was that entry was free but you had to pay to sit down. They had all the seating areas inside and outside roped off. When we tried to cross over, a waitress ran over and told us their was a fee...really????!!!! So who needs to sit - we were there for the club action and a few drinks.

Went to the bar and ordered a margarita. $10.00! At least I had the coupon for buy one get one free. So two drinks ended up in my hands, which seemed like a halfway good deal until I tasted one. Ick - horrible mix, way too sweet and no hint of tequila. I should have known based on how the drink looked. Live and learn! It took a long time, but I forced myself to finish the drinks cause I paid for them and I am cheap that way. Then it was back out onto Fremont Street in search of a real drink...

So the margarita at the Gold Digger Bar at the Golden Nugget Casino on Fremont Street gets a 1. Pretty weak stuff. If you visit, find an alternative drink.

Margarita - Hennessey's Tavern - Hermosa Beach

2013-02-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

It was a bright sunny afternoon at Hermosa Beach and the NFL Playoffs were in full swing. Though it was nice on the strand, I had an urge to take in the gridiron action, and besides a nice cold margarita on the rocks was calling my name.

We took a moment to figure out the options - I spotted a cantina, but my friend - a pub person - had already laid eyes on Hennessey's Tavern and SHE won out by default. Sigh... what's a margarita guy doing in a pub - following a female, naturally.

In spite of the beautiful January afternoon, the place was packed - football can do that. Luckily the waitress wound her way through the crowds and got to us quick. "What kind of margaritas do you have?" I asked. "Yes" was the answer. So you know what that means - buyer beware. But as you should know by now, I have no fear of taking a risk when it comes to margaritas. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. So I replied back "I'll take that one!"

Shortly thereafter, I was staring at a nondescript drink in a basic glass. I steeled myself for a 1 or 2 rating. "Cheers" (My friend had a Guinness and knew exactly what she was getting...) So I smiled, took a breathe, then tilted the glass back to sample the contents and found that it was actually pretty good. Good enough in fact that I finished it and ordered another. Not bad for an Irish Pub. And considering that my team won the game, it was an excellent afternoon.

So the "margarita" at Hennessey's Tavern at Hermosa Beach gets a solid three limes.

Margarita - Mint Lounge - Palms - Las Vegas

2013-02-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

In Vegas, hanging out with my gambling friends - they gamble, I drink. Nice combination, as I normally put down their "free" beverages so they can concentrate on what they are doing. Distractions would not be good when spending large sums of money... But you can't seem to get a decent free margarita on the casino floor, so after a couple of hours of downing beers I needed a break. As we had wandered into the Palms Casino and Resort I headed over to the Mint Lounge to see what the bartender could concoct.

As expected, this was not a place with a full menu of margaritas (one as it turned out) so I challenged the bartender to make me something interesting and to stay clear of cheap tequilas. The result was better than expected and earned a solid 3. Sadly, I don't know what's in it, so kind of hard to tell you how to get it recreated. All I can say, is tell the bartender that Patron is over-rated and to find something "real" for your margarita.

But for sure, I was happy with what I got and it went down quite smooth.

The "margarita" at the Mint Lounge inside the Palms in Las Vegas gets a 3 lime rating.

Agaves Rita - Agaves - Long Beach, CA

2013-01-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

Found a great new place on Pine Street in Long Beach. Agaves is sort of an upscale Mexican Cantina crossed with a club. It starts out as a restaurant, but transitions as the night grows long. The food that we had was absolutely awesome, so we assumed the margaritas would be too. We chose the Agaves Rita on the rocks as it was available in a pitcher. Engineered with Milagros Silver, citrus, and Agaves nectar it was a pretty decent drink (considering that I'm not a big fan of silvers and blancos). So good that I think we had a couple of pitchers over the course of the evening, especially since more people kept showing up and helping themselves to our drinks...

As a group, we all agreed it was a solid 3 on the Limer Scale. My only regret isn't that we didn't get a chance to try some of their other signature drinks.

Overall, Agaves is seriously worth a visit - great staff - great food - great atmosphere - and great drinks. Check it out if you are in downtown Long Beach. It's just a couple of blocks up from Ocean. Tell them you read about it at TheUltimateMargarita.com

The official rating for the Agaves Rita at Agaves In Long Beach is:

Margarita - El Sombrero - Manhattan Beach, CA

2013-01-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

You gotta have a certain sense of doubt when you sit down in a Mexican Eatery and the selection of margaritas is limited to one. That is what I found when I opened the menu at El Sombrero in Manhattan Beach, CA. OK, to be honest there was the option of strawberry, but pretty much the only listing was margarita. Not "house margarita" or "el grande margarita", nope... just margarita.

But never one to turn down the opportunity to sample my favorite beverage I was game. What the heck, I order margaritas at all the unlikely places like Sushi Restaurants, Irish Pubs, and Brewery's, etc., so why wouldn't I go for it in a Mexican Cantina??? What did I have to lose?

Well its a good thing that my expectations were minimal in this case, because the drink itself was pretty dismal. Maybe a 2 if I really pushed hard to find something positive. The reality of the "margarita" at El Sombrero was that it was way too sweet without a hint of tequila. I felt like I was drinking lemonade mixed by a sugar-happy 5 year old. It just wasn't good.

On a positive note, the staff was quite cheerful, the restaurant was only a block off the beach and food was pretty decent. I got two soft taco's - one chicken and one steak. The steak was better, but the chicken wasn't too shady. Overall it wasn't a bad day at the beach, especially with NFL football on the TV screens.

Sorry El Sombrero, your margarita needs some work. And why not go for the gold and focus on developing some signature drinks...just sayin.

Because we liked the staff we cautiously assign a rating of 2 Limes to this concoction - but just barely.

A Margarita With A View - The Rusty Rudder - Charlotte, NC

2012-12-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

How about a drink with a view? Check out the Rusty Rudder just outside of Charlotte, NC in Cornelius, right on the shore of Lake Norman - it even has docks. It's a great place to hang out and relax, especially on a warm afternoon or evening.

My first visit was on a cool winter day, but still nice enough to hit the back deck. Actually, it was the only place they would let us sit because they were closing for a Private Party and needed to clear out the dining area for setup. My kind of luck! But such is life.

The Rusty Rudder is more of a beer place, but of course that never stops me from going for my favorite drink. And you always have to take that with a grain of salt (pardon the pun)when the place doesn't have a drink list with a nice selection of margaritas. Basically these guys offer one model - a margarita. No fancy names or descriptions, just the basics.

We ordered up a round of drinks (there were just two of us, but that sounds impressive) and got an order of their famous fried pickles (not my style) and some French fries (definitely my style). Margaritas and French fries - think about it - fruit and veggies!!!!! LOL...

So as expected the drink was pretty average, but we never hold that against anyone, its just the nature of the game. Kind of overly sweet on the mix and the tequila had no distinctive flavor at all. So we give it a 3 at best, but it was really more of a 2.5 to be honest.

Hey, but with what looked like a pretty cool menu, a great waitress who put up with our never-ending good-natured hassles over the restaurant closing for a private party, an excellent view and live entertainment on the weekends, the Rusty Rudder has potential. I could drink many a margarita while enjoying the back deck, even if they weren't top of the line. And probably with a little bit of cajoling of the bartender, we could jointly create something special.

The official ranking, though a bit divided by the judges is posted as a 3 Limer.

CaboRita-EEZ Fusion Restaurant - Charlotte, NC

2012-12-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Found a new place in Huntersville, NC which is on the outskirts of Charlotte, NC. EEZ Fusion & Sushi is located in a quaint shopping area called Birkdale Commons which has a lot of shopping and dining opportunities including a Mexican place that caught my eye. But that wasn't our destination. Nope, it was my friend's birthday so I let HIM choose a place and before I knew it we were in front of EEZ Fusion & Sushi.

Now, I'm not a big sushi fan and Ed knew it, so he had to bribe me by insisting they had a great margarita. "In a Sushi place?" I challenged, "Yeah right". But it was his birthday so I gave in. I could always do beer or even sake, provided I could find something on the menu that worked for me. Oh well, I could always eat and drink just enough to be polite then bolt down the street to that Mexican place...

So the two of us parked at the bar while waiting for a table. Just to extend my misery Ed insisted on a specific server which made the wait that much longer. Then to my amazement he ordered us a couple of margaritas - really! And not just any old margaritas but Cabo-Ritas. I thought it was a joke. No way was a sushi place going to have tequila, let alone Cabo Wabo Reposado. But to my amazement the bartender didn't laugh, rather he whipped up two awesome drinks and I mean really top notch! Who would have thought...

And it got better from there. Turns out this great waiter that Ed bragged about was definitely worth the wait. KC ( don't know how to spell his name but that is close enough) was one of the best server's I have ever dealt with. Not only did he know his stuff and stay on top of everything, he was also a lot of fun (had to be to put up with us).

And the food - OMG - was it the best. As it turns out the name of the place says it all - FUSION. Sure they had sushi, but so much other stuff as well, like mahi-mahi tacos. The list is long and you can see it on their website, but for sure they have something for just about every taste.

We let KC point us in the right direction and started out with some kind of sushi roll for an appetizer. Remember, I don't particularly care for sushi, but this was so different from my past experiences. And it went so well with those Cabo-Ritas. Then it was on to Seafood Mac-N-Cheese which had lobster, shrimp and crab. Fantastic stuff.

I think we ended up spending about two hours in EEZ Fusion and had an awesome evening. So if you are anywhere in the vicinity of Charlotte, NC you need to find your way over there and be sure to ask for KC.

So we give the Cabo-Rita at EEZ Fusion a solid 4 Limes! And all the food a 5.

Drinking Till The Mayan End

2012-12-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Two Mayans:

#1 says: "The tequila is ready, do you want some?"

#2 replies: "I'm working on this calendar, but I guess if I don't finish it, it won't be the end of the world..."

But just in case they got it right, you might as well head out for your favorite drinks cause you still have a few hours left cause after today it might be too late...

And if nothing else, you can toast them for giving you another excuse to sip something you love.

4 Days Till End Of World - Toast It With A MAYAN Margarita

2012-12-17T20:18:00.004-05:00

We have 4 more days until the End Of The World according to the Mayan Calendar, so what are you going to do? Me, I'm going to toast it with a margarita - might as well go out with a good buzz. And as it turns out, TGIFriday's has the same idea and have created the Mayan Margarita as a tribute to the last Friday - 12/21/12. For that matter, they have created an entire web page dedicated to the LAST FRIDAY complete with a countdown clock - which makes it easier to keep up if you had too many margaritas.

So I received an email from Friday's that got me tuned into the concept and invited me to try out their Mayan Margarita, created specifically for the occasion. NO WAY I was going to pass up on that opportunity, so we loaded up the car and headed out to plan our final sip.

As a margarita, the drink is pretty straight-forward, composed of Hornitos Reposado Tequila, triple sec, and a house-made agave sour mix. But it was the EXTRA little ingredient that put it over the top - strawberry Pop Rocks®!

The glass comes with the Pop Rocks on the rim, which makes for an interesting effect when you drink it and they break loose and start crackling in your mouth and all the way down your throat. But that's just the beginning.

Our server also dropped off a shot glass with each Mayan Margarita that was filled with more Pop Rocks. Not knowing any better, I poured the whole thing in at once which set off a small explosion of sorts, not enough to make a real mess, but just enough to have some fun. Watch out Myth Busters, I'm blowing up stuff too!

I gotta tell you this was one of the funnest drinks I have ever had! In terms of a margarita, it ranks about a three, but when it comes to creativity it is definitely a five!

So don't delay, because the Mayan Margarita is worth a try and after Friday 12/21/12, it will be too late...

Don Julio Platinum Margarita - Baja Sharkeez - Huntington Beach

2012-11-01T19:30:00.000-04:00

It was such a nice evening sitting out on the sidewalk that I figured I might as well try several margaritas while at Baja Sharkeez in Huntington Beach. Having already put down a Cadillac 18K Margarita it was time to move to the Don Julio Platinum.

Don Julio is one of my favorite tequilas, especially the top end version - Don Julio 1942. So when I see it on the menu it gets my attention. In this case, it was just the Don Julio blanco...sad...but still worth trying. I would have preferred a nice reposado, but I wasn't the mixologist and decided to bow down to their concoction. After all, if I changed every drink to my liking, you wouldn't be able to replicate it when you drop in.

Ok, enough rambling. Baja Sharkees describes the Don Julio Platinum like this: Our version of the Skinny Margarita (uh oh - that never bodes well) for the "True Connoisseur". Ultra-premium Don Julio blanco is hand-shaken with Citronage, agave nectar, fresh-squeezed lime. So I had to debate if I was willing to take on a "skinny" drink or not. But when you look at the hand-made aspect, it tends to over-rule the skinny factor. Of course, handmade is tricky, so there is some risk. But I was feeling adventuresome and decided to go for it.

Our waitress gave me a thumbs up and rushed off to get the order in. She was back in short order with the finished drink, in a plastic cup, cause we were on the sidewalk. So how did it rank?

A tad bit strong on the tequila, which is not a negative for me, especially with a better brand of liquor. The taste definitely had more of a bite than the Cadillac 18K, which I prefer, though my friend did not. She is not really a margarita fiend like me either. Thus, if you are looking for a milder flavor (kind of like a light beer versus a dark beer) you may not prefer this drink. But I liked it and give it a solid three limes without question. Possibly closer to a four based on my tastes.

Cadillac 18K Margarita - Baja Sharkeez - Huntington Beach, CA

2012-10-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

It was one of those Good News Bad News kind of nights. I was in Huntington Beach for one evening and had been planning a trip to Fred's Mexican Cafe for weeks. Being from the East Coast, its not like I can just walk in whenever I want. A friend picked me up from the Long Beach airport and we headed straight over to Huntington Beach for some tacos and margaritas at Fred's. And then came the bad news - the place was closed for a private party. Actually a locals-only event. We tried to talk our way in, but got shot down. Needless to say, I was ticked off big time.

So what do you do when the only place you wanted to visit was now unavailable? You walk the streets and find something better - and we did. So the good news was Baja Sharkeez, about a block down from Fred's. It had indoor and outdoor seating, so we went with the sidewalk section to enjoy the mild evening and flip the bird at Fred's on a regular cycle.

One of the good things about Baja Sharkeez is that it had a nice variety of margaritas with an entire page of the menu dedicated to them. So after careful review and consultation with Summer our waitress, I decided to start with the Cadillac 18K Margarita. Composed of Cazadores Reposado, triple sec, sweet and sour, and then topped with Grand Marnier, it seemed like a good start to the evening. Not a big fan of Cazadores, but being that it was a Reposado, I was ok with it. It even came in two different sizes, but as I found out they didn't allow the larger one in the sidewalk seating area. Oh well...

The drink came out pretty quickly and was excellent. Nice flavor and balance between the liquor and mix. The only questionable aspect was that it was served in a plastic cup. Again, one of the quirks of being out on the sidewalk. Margaritas definitely taste better in a glass, but not enough to make us switch to the inside seating area.

The food was pretty good too! So the evening worked out just fine without Fred's - their loss! I found a new place to spend my money and time.

I give the Cadillac 18K Margarita at Baja Sharkeez in Huntington Beach, CA a solid three limes.

GC Patron Perfect Margarita - Granite City - Sioux Falls, SD

2012-10-25T19:00:00.000-04:00

Found a good one tonight! I'm in Sioux Falls on business and got invited to dinner at Granite City, which specializes in beer, but had a nice complement of mixed drinks as well, with a half dozen interesting margaritas to choose from. I asked the waitress to recommend one and she told me to go with the GC Patron Perfect Margarita. Naturally that just had to be her choice, since I am not a big fan of Patron, something I pointed out to her. Guess what? She agreed! Quote "I'm a Tequila Girl and don't like it myself. I would rather have something like 1800 reposado." Awesome - my kind of waitress! Thus, I decide to accept her recommendation, based on her qualifications.

The GC Patron Perfect Margarita is composed of Patrón Silver 100% Blue Agave Tequila, Patrón Citrónge premium orange liqueur, simple syrup and sweet & sour. And the drink she delivered was excellent! Wonderful flavor and great balance. In spite of the Patron, this drink ranked very highly with me. And it went great with the Asian Shrimp Tacos that I had for dinner. Great margarita, great meal, great service, great place.

I give the GC Patron Perfect Margarita at Granite City in Sioux Falls, SD a solid 4 limes.

The Original Margarita - BJ's Restaurant And Brew House - West Chester, OH

2012-10-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

If you aren't familiar with them, BJ's Restaurant and Brew House is a national chain. Obviously with a name like Brew House, they are focused on beer and well known for it I might add. Pizza too, I saw a lot of pizza and beer throughout the restaurant. But I don't won't to paint the wrong picture, as they have a hefty menu with a lot of choices, including a variety of signature drinks and margaritas even.

True to my nature, while everyone else was relishing the fine brews at the BJ's location in West Chester, PA, I was perusing the margarita menu. Though limited, the choices looked interesting with enough variety to satisfy a lot of different tastes. I went with the Original Margarita which was composed of JOSE CUERVO ESPECIAL Tequila, Triple Sec, BJ's homemade margarita mix, a splash of orange juice and fresh lime, and served on the rocks.

Between you and me, most of the well-known brands of Tequila, this one included, are not high on my list of quality liquors, but when dealing with a chain restaurant its pretty much what you get. But there was enough add-on's to theoretically create a nice flavorable balance.

Back in February, I visited a different BJ's (in the Houston area) and was quite pleased with the BJ's Top Shelf Margarita, so I was looking forward to sampling a different one from the menu.

Sadly this drink did not come anywhere close to the previous experience. The mix was horrible, which threw the drink way out of balance. It was so overpoweringly sour, that you couldn't even taste the other ingredients including the tequila. Noticing my displeasure with the concoction, someone else at the table suggested I step up to the BJ's Top Shelf Margarita. No thanks! It still boasts the same margarita mix which was at the core of the problem. And though it was great in Texas, the mix in this location left a lot to be desired.

So I switched to water...without even finishing the margarita...sad.

Guess that's what I get for ordering a margarita in a Brew House. But this isn't one of those places focuses on beer and doesn't even list a margarita as a choice. They have multiple versions, clearly spelled out in the menu and even portrayed as high quality drinks. Sorry guys, but your mix just didn't work out on this night in this location. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe not...

On the bright side, if you are looking for a great place to eat, BJ's certainly does much better with food.. I had the Mahi-Mahi tacos. Awesome! If I was ranking the food, those would earn a 4, but I'm only ranking margaritas... and the BJ's Original Margarita in the West Chester location is only getting a two. And the only reason it didn't get a one, is that the margarita experience in a different location was so good!

Combating Margarita Brain Freeze

2012-10-22T20:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight we decided to make frozen margaritas at home, with the challenge being which flavor. It was an even split between strawberry and lime. So what do you do? Make both of course and with a three pitcher Margaritaville Machine that was a simple task.

I started with the traditional lime and almost immediately got the dreaded brain freeze. For sure, I knew better than to drink too much too fast, but it was so good that I couldn't help myself and temporarily lost my mind. But very quickly I was rudely reminded of my indiscretion and shocked out of my bliss with waves of pain across my cheeks and a room full of people laughing at me.

Thus, I went back to sipping the blasted thing like it was a glass of wine.

For my second glass I went with strawberry. Another great drink - I made them BTW using my own recipes, which in the case of the strawberry one utilized real strawberries rather than strawberry syrup or mix. And guess what? I started drinking this one too fast too...naturally. But this time no brain freeze. Good news obviously, but why not? (I am a curious soul.)

I think I know the answer!

The frozen lime margarita depends on a lot of ice to make it thick. The strawberry one on the other had gets most of its bulk from strawberries rather than ice. Yes they are frozen, but I could tell when drinking it that it just didn't seem as cold as the lime one.

Maybe not all that scientific, but it works for me!

BTW - it should be noted that if you drink the strawberry one fast enough you can still get brain freeze...just sayin...

Parker's Margarita - Bonefish Grill - West Chester, Ohio

2012-10-20T21:02:00.001-04:00

Bonefish Grill is known for their Martinis, but guess what? They can make a mean margarita too. We visited the West Chester location, which is in the Cincinnati area for dinner. (Someone else chose the place, and I got invited to tag along.) We parked in the bar area and ordered appetizers and drinks. While the main buzz was on martini's or beer, I spotted the the Parker's Margarita on the menu, which drew a chuckle as everyone knows my affinity for a margarita. So I quizzed the waitress about the concoction, which she assured me was excellent - they all say that don't they.

What the heck, why not? There was no ingredient list on the menu, so it was all based on a leap of faith, but the waitress couldn't possibly be wrong, right??? I am soooo predictable!!!!

And the verdict is... drum roll please... the waitress was dead on - it was an awesome margarita. Not too sweet, not too sour. A nice smooth taste that went down well. And when paired up with the bang-bang shrimp, it was a great start to a great dinner.

As I said, not sure what was in it, but it kicked my @#$$ after just two of them.

This one gets a four limer rating. So memorable that I am anxious to get to my local Bonefish Grill and find out how consistent they are in different locations.

Margarita - El Cazador - Carolina Beach, NC

2012-07-27T19:00:00.000-04:00

El Cazador is a classic Mexican Restaurant with a classic menu. Very basic stuff spread across several pages. It appeared to be the only Mexican place in town, so naturally we had to try it out and with the crowds it seemed to be quite popular.

I must be up front and say that I did NOT do the drink ordering. A margarita was delivered to me and I drank it - of course. And WOW, it was horrible!!! Look at the picture - notice how clear the drink is, almost like water. But watery was the one thing it was not. If you like tequila shots, then you would be happy with this drink because it was pretty much all tequila - and not very good tequila at that.

The problem as it turns out had a pretty simple solution - stir the drink. As delivered, it was basically a layer of tequila and a layer of mix. Blending the two sections together made it much more bearable, but still not the best drink in the world.

Now, we try to be as positive as we can on our reviews, but unfortunately, this is one drink that just didn't pass muster. Food was pretty decent, though the portions were way too large.

Bottom line, we give this margarita a 1 lime rating - sorry El Cazador...