On a really hot day, a shaken Margarita warms up too fast. Blended with ice it turns into a fine, spoonable slush that stays cold to the last sip, sharp with lime and softened just enough by sugar.
2 oz
blanco tequila 100% agave
1 oz
triple sec such as Cointreau
1 oz
lime juice
½ oz
simple syrup 1:1
Garnish: Salt rim, lime wheel · Ice: Crushed ice
Frozen Margarita
Icy, sharp and refreshing: fresh lime and agave with gentle orange sweetness, a smooth slushy texture and salt at the rim. Milder than a shaken Margarita because of the extra ice.
Blended Margaritas were made in bars with electric blenders well before 1970, but the frozen Margarita as a draught drink has a clearly documented origin. In 1971 Mariano Martinez, who ran a Mexican restaurant in Dallas, adapted a soft serve ice cream machine to produce frozen Margaritas of consistent quality at high volume.
The idea spread quickly across Texas and then the United States, and frozen drink machines became standard equipment in Tex-Mex restaurants. Martinez's original machine was later acquired by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. At home the drink is still made the older way, in a blender, which works perfectly well with the right ratio of ice to liquid.
The frozen Margarita machine was created by Mariano Martinez in Dallas in 1971. Blended versions existed before, but his machine made the drink famous.
About one cup of crushed ice per serving. Too little makes it runny, too much makes it bland.
You can freeze the mix in a flat container and scrape it with a fork every 30 minutes for a granita style version.
The perfect sound
Frozen lime bliss with toes in the sand.
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