The Perfect Margarita (3-2-1)

Some idiot with too much time on his (her) hands has done a comprehensive survey and found that the 'Margarita' is now the most popular cocktail in the United States. Pretty amazing when you consider the fact that the vast majority of people have never even tasted a real Margarita. If you want the real deal all you have to remember is 3-2-1.

That's the proportion. 3 parts tequila, 2 parts orange liqueur (Triple sec), and one part fresh lime juice. At Felix' we make a 'mago' with an ounce and a half of tequila and an ounce of orange liqueur and a half ounce of fresh squeezed lime juice. That's a 3 1/2 ounce drink---so when you go to one of those trendy Mexican places and get a Margarita in a glass the size of your kid's wading pool you know for sure that your 'mago' has been diluted with a quart of something called 'Margarita mix' then blended with about a gallon of ice...you are then served a vaguely lime-tasting snow cone.

For starters...you will always get a better Margarita if you order it on the rocks. If the bartender pours your Margarita out of a big bottle of premixed green stuff you are not getting the real thing. Here's how you make an authentic Margarita...

Put some ice in a cocktail (Martini) shaker and add the 1 1/2 ounces of tequila, the ounce of triple sec and the half ounce of fresh lime juice...stir or shake until it is icy cold then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass or Martini glass with a salted rim, garnish with a slice of lime and enjoy. Or you can just pour the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned or 'rocks' glass and give it a stir. Since you haven't diluted this classic drink, you can actually taste the tequila, the triple sec and the lime juice so feel free to use premium tequila and maybe even Grand Marnier (instead of cheap triple sec) for a really fancy pants version of this great cocktail.