Six Picture Perfect Margaritas for Cinco de Mayo

Entertaining

Well hello there, May 1. And just like that, another month is upon us. Thankfully, May welcomes us with one of the very best days of the year – Cinco de Mayo – and it is just 5 days away! If you haven’t previously noticed, I thoroughly enjoy all things pertaining to tequila. I don’t think I’ve ever met a margarita that I don’t like. Ok correction – any that come out of machine are really bad. But that’s because it is SO easy to make a really good margarita at home.

To ensure you’re fully prepped for this Saturday, I’ve rounded up my favorite margaritas from over the years and a couple recipes from friends.

Most likely our most popular margarita recipe to date, the Grapefruit Margarita is as delicious as it is pretty.

If you want a margarita with a little sweet and a little spice, you’ll like the Tiki Rita. It’s got a few more ingredients than the tried and true, but it’s worth the fuss.

If you’re one of those people who only drink margaritas blended, I will forgive, but you must at least make your own. This Slushy Coconut Mint Margarita should immediately transport you to preferred tropical location.

The Coralina Margarita combines a margarita with my other favorite thing – red wine! This margarita recipe was created by Riesler Morale, a mixologist from Mexico City and offers a touch of sweetness with simple syrup and a sugared rim.

I wouldn’t think to add veggies into margaritas, but this Garden Margarita by my friend Ashley at Craft & Cocktails adds fruity and herbaceous notes with Earl Gray tea and apricot liqueur. This would be a good option for someone who thinks they don’t like tequila.

This cocktail is technically a Paloma – which mixes a larger proportion of grapefruit juice with tequila – but I’m throwing it in here just to mix things up. And this one, by Sugar & Cloth, adds a kick with jalapeno simple syrup!

As a little bonus recipe, I also wanted to share an option for the tequila averse among us. I got your back pregnant mamas (or perhaps you want a Cinco de Mayo option for the kiddos). This Pineapple Mint Agua Fresca recipe is sure to be a winner.

What are your Cinco de Mayo plans? Since it’s on a Saturday this year, we can really celebrate from sunup to sundown. Though I wouldn’t recommend starting your margaritas quite that early. But I’m all for breakfast burritos!

If you need some tacos to go with your margs, CLICK HERE for the perfect recipe.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the Margarita of the Year!

Entertaining

What’s better than tomorrow being a Friday? It being Cinco de Mayo! Only a tequila lover’s favorite day of the year. Did you catch my post about the Patrón TikiRita a couple of weeks back? It was in the running to be selected as the Margarita of the Year. Sadly, it did not win, but I’m the first to agree that the winner is indeed quite deserving. Keep scrolling for the margarita recipe that is going to take your Cinco de Mayo to the next level.

The winning Margarita of the Year, the Coralina, was created by Riesler Morale, a mixologist from Mexico City. The recipe combines two of my favorite things: tequila and….wait for it….wine! Yes, I realize it sounds a touch crazy, but the result is stunning.

For this Cinco de Mayo party, I combined the Coralina with a tasty elevated version of the street taco. I snagged the recipe from the Bay Area grocery delivery service Good Eggs. I had the Mushroom & Potato Adobe Tacos in one of Good Egg’s new dinner kits and even though the taco is vegetarian, it makes a hearty meal. The spiciness of the adobo sauce also pairs perfectly with the salty-sweetness of the Coralina. They’re both total crowd pleasers.

So tomorrow, ditch the pitchers and chips and sip a margarita that has some serious style.

Patrón Margarita of the Year Recipe: the Coralina

Ingredients

1.75 oz Patrón Reposado
.75 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange
1 oz Fresh lime juice
.75 oz Simple syrup
.5 oz Red Wine (Mexican, or other. I used a red blend by Tank called All or Nothing)
+ Sugar-salt rim*

Method

1. Combine Patrón Reposado, Patrón Citrónge Orange, simple syrup and lime juice in a shaker tin; add ice and shake vigorously.

2. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe rimmed with sugar-salt rim.*

3. Carefully float red wine on the surface of the cocktail. Note: floating the wine into the margarita isn’t the easiest of things. Google searches say slowly pouring the wine over the back of a cocktail spoon will help keep the liquors from combining. You also want your wine to be nice and chilled. But should they happen to mix, no worries. The drink tastes just as good!

* Sugar-salt rim:
Pulverize .25 cup dried hibiscus in a spice grinder. Add .25 cup sugar and .25 cup kosher salt and pulse until combined.

And Patrón is offering an awesome way to elevate your Cinco de Mayo celebrations tomorrow. Tweet #PatronMyCinco to purchase a bottle of Patrón Silver delivered within an hour. Added bonus: readers in Chicago and New York City (21+) who tweet #PatronMyCinco can purchase a Patrón Party in A Box for delivery within 1 hour as part of their new on-demand delivery. The box will include all the ingredients for the Margarita of the Year (the Coralina Margarita) along with some Cinco deMayo swag. Consider your Cinco de Mayo taken care of!

Salud!

For all of my favorite margarita recipes, CLICK HERE

original photography for apartment 34 by andrea posadas / food styling by tracy shutterbean / tableware c/o elsie green

This post is in partnership with Patrón. The perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that keep our doors open.

Margarita of the Year: Tiki Rita

Entertaining

Who else is feeling pumped about all things Spring right now? Fresh colors, new styles, lighter flavors – I don’t know what it was about this winter, but the hibernation was legit. But the new season is working it’s magic. I’m finally feeling ready to break out of the doldrums. It’s time to be social again! I’ve never properly broken in our house so I think it’s high time. It’s the perfect excuse to break back into the bar cart and put some of that spring energy into a fresh cocktail idea.

Now, my love of margaritas is well-documented. Margaritas just equal fun. And when made right, they’re absolutely delicious. It’s no wonder they’re most popular cocktail in the US (interesting, right?!).

I’ve become a bit of a margarita connoisseur over the years and have figured out the formula to a stellar drink. The number one rule? Top shelf ingredients. Your margarita is only as good as what you put in it. Obviously that starts with great tequila. The first time you have truly good tequila, I promise your mind will be blown. My choice for top shelf tequila is Patrón. The second secret? Fresh everything else. We served margaritas at my wedding (it was in Mexico after all – you can see a glimpse here) and my dear father-in-law juiced over 50 limes by hand! But you know what they say. A little hard work makes the reward so much sweeter.

To celebrate the most popular cocktail nationwide, Patrón has crafted 7 artisanal recipes that showcase the versatility of the margarita and its endless variations in flavor profiles—from spice-infused to classic citrus. I got to put their “Tiki Rita” recipe to the test.

A Hawaiian-inspired version of the classic, this margarita is still light and refreshing but with a distinct spicy note – as in from your spice cabinet – not hot. It combines both fresh lime and fresh grapefruit juice as well as a spice-infused liquor call Allspice Dram. Thankfully, you can pick up all the ingredients at most liquor stores or your favorite bottle shop. I found everything for this cocktail at BevMo. And while I don’t normally rock the kitsch that tends to accompany all things tiki, I did find these adorable tiki shot glasses! I think they’re the perfect way to pay homage to the drink’s inspiration. And isn’t the color just gorgeous? Scroll down to get the entire recipe!

RECIPE: PATRÓN TIKI RITA

Ingredients

2oz Patrón Reposda
.5oz Patrón Citrónge Orange
.5oz Fresh lime juice
.5oz Fresh grapefruit juice
.25oz Vanilla syrup
.25oz Allspice Dram
Grated nutmeg
Lime wheels
Hawaiian sea salt rim

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill.
2. Strain onto fresh crushed ice in a high ball (or tiki!) glass that has been rimmed with Hawaiian sea salt.
3. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg, a lime wheel and fresh cloves.

Check out all of the “Margarita of the Year” recipes by visiting patrontequila.com and casting your vote for your favorite on Twitter and Facebook for a chance to help name the #MargaritaOfTheYear. Of course, I’d love to see the #TikiRita trend! Vote for your favorite Margarita by doing one of the below:
1. Using the recipe Hashtag – #TikiRita – on Twitter/Facebook
2. Vote on the Patrón Margarita of the Year website by clicking RIGHT HERE

photography for apartment 34 by michelle drewes

This post is in partnership with Patrón. The perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that keep our doors open.

A Refreshing Twist on the Margarita

Entertaining

While winter isn’t usually associated with margarita season, I’m excited to put a new twist on a classic. Absolut just launched Absolut Lime – the newest, most refreshingly versatile addition to your bar. Since I got to spend last weekend poolside in Las Vegas, when Absolut asked if I’d like to put their newest flavor to the test, I gladly accepted.

Absolut Lime has a full-bodied citrus flavor with a refreshingly light finish that works perfectly in a variety of cocktail recipes, but I’m particularly loving a twist on one of my favorite drinks – the margarita.

The switch is easy. By substituting Absolut Lime for your tequila, mixing in some fresh lime juice and adding agave, you get a lighter, brighter, slightly less in-your-face version of the standard. It was the perfect thing for everyone to sip around the pool (including my in-laws!). With awards season upon us, it’s also the perfect opportunity to kick traditional awards-watching treats like bubbly to the curb. In fact, Absolut is the official partner of the GRAMMY Awards coming up on Feb. 12. Is everyone as excited as I am to get together and watch James Corden host this year’s show? His segment, Carpool Karaoke, makes me forget about the world’s problems and Corden was amazing at hosting the Tonys (hi, awards show geek here). I know he’s going to be super entertaining.

At this year’s GRAMMY Awards, Absolut also wants to refresh what women are asked on the red carpet. While the dresses are certainly important in the world of fashion, there are a lot more pressing things to talk about. This year’s GRAMMY’s Absolut is launching the #RefreshTheTalk campaign. Turning the question from “what are you wearing” to “what causes do you care about” is a brilliant idea. I’m certainly excited to get my girls together to tune in and see what everyone has to say when the script gets flipped. And I’ll be serving a round of Vodkaritas of course! We also might have to try our hand at Camille’s game of Award Show Bingo. It’s seriously genius.

The recipe to make Vodkaritas for your crew is below. Even if you don’t consider yourself a mixologist, you can definitely pull this off.

RECIPE: Absolut Lime Vodkarita
2 parts Absolut Lime
1 part fresh Lime Juice
1/2 part Agave Nectar

Shake all ingredients with ice until cold. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Salt the rim if you like. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Enjoy!!

This post is in partnership with Absolut. Enjoy responsibly.

#SipsForSummer: {Slushy Coconut-Mint Margarita}

Recipes

If there’s one thing we love around here, it’s a refreshing libation! So when Glitter Guide invited us to partake in their new #SipsForSummer series, we gladly accepted the challenge. The request? Develop a refreshing recipe for the perfect summer cocktail and share it with you! How could we resist?? The added bonus? A different site will share a new cocktail recipe every Friday for the next month. When it’s all said and done, you’ll have a well stocked bar and the perfect excuse to throw a killer end-of-summer party!

When we sat down to devise our perfect cocktail recipe, we immediately turned to tequila. One of the first things I wanted after Carter joined the world?? A margarita! A good margarita is the perfect drink for a hot summer afternoon, but we decide to put a refreshing spin on the classic recipe. When you add some coconut milk and a touch of mint it becomes mighty hard to have just one of these!

Slushy Coconut-Mint Margarita

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut water
2 tbl agave
1 oz. lime juice
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. triple sec
mint + lime slice for garnish

To make a slushy margarita, you’ll need to first prep ice cubes. Freeze 1 cup worth of coconut milk in an ice cube tray overnight. Once frozen, blend ice cubes with 1/2 cup coconut water (or as much as you need) until slushy consistency. Pour 1 cup coconut mixture into a chilled cup and add lime juice, tequila, triple sec and agave. Stir for 15 seconds. Quickly spoon margarita into your favorite glass–we chose coupes to feel a little fancy!–garnish with mint and lime and enjoy! Sorry, golden sunny beach not included.

Who else will be sharing their cocktail mixing genius with us, praytell? You’ll just have to wait and see! Click back next Friday and every Friday through July for your #SipsForSummer fix.

Oh and if you make this cocktail make sure to tag @apartment_34 on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #SipsForSummer so we can see what you’re enjoying. Cheers!

original photography for apartment 34 by aubrie pick

Taco Tuesday Just Got THAT Much Better

Food

For all of the certified Mexican food addicts out there, today marks a very special day for us. It’s a.) Taco Tuesday – a legit day on our weekly calendar – and b.) Cinco de Mayo, THE holiday to indulge in as many tacos as possible – as if anyone needs an extra excuse to celebrate Taco Tuesday! And while we have our fave local haunts for the juiciest carnitas in town, there’s no doubt the crowds will be fiery for a fiesta all day long. So we’ve found the most delicious street taco recipe to make at home – the perfect place to stuff yourselves silly while enjoying endless amounts of margaritas!

Homemade Street Tacos

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (1.5 pound) chicken, chopped
1 McCormick Taco with Chipotle & Garlic Skillet Sauce
8-10 small corn tortillas
Condiments
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro
2 avocados, sliced
2 limes, quartered

Directions:

Heat canola oil in a large skillet pan over medium heat. Add in chicken and cook until just browned. Stir in McCormick Skillet Sauce and cook until chicken is done. Remove from heat, fill in tortillas and serve with condiments.

Are those not some of the best looking chicken tacos you’ve ever seen?? This simple recipe is a thing of beauty. Consider this our Cinco de Mayo gift to you. Enjoy!

And if you’re thirsty for some tequila, check out these slurp-worthy cocktails!

image + recipe via Bakers Royale

Tasty Tuesday: Gorgeous Grapefruit Margarita

Recipes

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and in celebration of the upcoming festivities, Ashley has mixed up a gorgeous grapefruit margarita recipe that just might be the best thing you’ve ever tasted!

While margaritas are an obvious cocktail for a Mexican fiesta, fresh grapefruit juice gives this fan-favorite drink an unexpected twist. The gorgeous light pink grapefruit color is flirty and feminine and the tartness of the fruit will make you and your party-goin’ friends pucker for another round!

Grapefruit Margarita

2 oz. Tequila
2 oz. Grapefruit
1 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. agave
Kosher salt for rim
lime wedge
garnish- grapefruit slice/lime slice

Add tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, triple sec and agave into a shaker with ice. Shake.
Take lime wedge and run around lip of glass. Place salt on plate and swirl the cup lip in the salt.

Add ice to glass. Strain cocktail shaker into glass. Garnish with grapefruit.

________________________________________________________________________

We love the idea of continuing to twist the classic margarita, not only in the flavor and color, but also when it comes down to presentation. Instead of pouring the margs into typical margarita glasses, serve them in vintage tumblers! You can also add pink sea salt to the rims for a little sparkle, but we like the look of a simple slice of grapefruit resting on top. Gorgeous, right?

Salud!

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick // art direction by Apartment 34 // styling by Bianca Sotelo // recipe by Ashley Rose

Say it With Me: Never Force Down a Bad Margarita Again

Recipes

As we say so long to April and set our sights on May {May people!}, one of my favorite days is right around the corner – Cinco de Mayo! Yes, it is the ultimate excuse for day drinking and copious amounts of tequila, but I am making it my mission to never see a pitcher of poorly made margaritas be served again. So this week’s Tasty Tuesday is dedicated to saying Salud in style!

Did you know you can actually branch out while still staying true to tequila’s roots? Upon returning from our trip to Sayulita, I blogged about my new favorite drink – the Paloma. The drink is still tequila based, but features grapefruit juice, club soda and fresh lime. And is seriously good. But even with this alternative, there is still room to play as is evidenced by the Blood Orange or the Thyme options above {dying to try!!}.

Or perhaps you’d like something with a bit more sweetness? Then the Salty Chihuahua might be for you. This drink, besides having a fabulous name, adds a splash of orange liqueur, all for under 200 calories. Note, this is another one of the major downsides of margaritas made with any bottled mixers – sugar, sugar and more sugar. Any of these hand-mixed options are going to help you bypass unnecessary calories, at least a little bit.

And if you really, really can’t stomach tequila, a mojito is your thirst quenching best bet, especially when you add a dash of grapefruit!

Sure, we will all eat lots of chips and guacamole with varying levels of a gourmet’s touch come Sunday, but your tequila should never be sacrificed.

Viva la Mexico!

spicy margarita // blood orange paloma // french kiss margarita // thyme paloma // grapefruit mojito // spicy chihuahua

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