Photo Courtesy of Peso.
Margaritas – that icy blend of sweet, salty and sometimes fruity – are for many people who enjoy adult beverages, the perfect alcoholic drink. Luckily, National Margarita Day gives you good reason to order this drink or offer it to your guests. They can be served on the rocks or frozen. You can make them with a variety of alcohols, including tequila, mezcal or sotol. You can rim the glass with salt or lime juice or any other combination. You can even add fruit, fresh mint or jalapeno. It is a drink that begs for some creativity.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you get to go crazy. No, sir. As a mixologist or everyday dinner-party host, you’ve got to have some standards. Nick Britsky, host of Nick Drinks, says margaritas do need a basic level of standards if you want to get them right.
“A great margarita needs balance, fresh ingredients and a true 100% Blue Agave tequila. Anything else should not be called a margarita,” Britsky said.
Here are some other basics of making the perfect margarita. Prepare your glasses – that means putting something on the rim, ideally, for flavor. Prep your ingredients in a shaker – mostly, this is tequila, lime juice and ice. Give it a good shake or stir. You can add some sweetener if you think it needs it, maybe a nice agave syrup. Then serve it or enjoy it.
Britsky suggested these five locations for finding the perfect margarita and encourages people to explore other areas of Metro Detroit, particularly Southwest, to find more.
Shores Tequileria y Cocina
You might not think of St. Clair Shores as a hotspot for margaritas, but Britsky says you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this local spot. The restaurant and bar has an extensive selection of tequila and mezcal as well as daily drink features. The Mexican-inspired food and beverages are well priced and bountiful as well.
Peso
This family-owned business not only knows food – it truly knows tequila and that makes for a great margarita. This Mexican eatery that has great tortas and other traditional food, also has a full bar with more than 20 different margaritas. Plus, the Lopez family truly knows the product – they make their own Cabresto Tequila and as owners of Lopez Tires have lots of community cred. This Detroit staple has been serving traditional Mexican and traditional Italian dishes for more than 12 years now, giving chef and owner Norberto Garita much-deserved praise from local media and beyond. Its margaritas are a great accompaniment to the food and atmosphere of this well-loved Southwest Detroit restaurant. Not many people might see themselves as “let’s go drink in an alley” kind of folks. But that’s all changed with this fun, kinda hidden spot where people of all ages go to see and be seen. The Skip describes itself as “your year-round tropical oasis in The Belt Alley.” It is a lively hot spot that focuses on frozen cocktails, particularly margaritas, of all flavors. Head over to Ferndale to get a seat at this little tavern, where you can get a great shot of whiskey just as easily as its impressive margarita. The Imperial is best known for its huevos rancheros, carne asada and its homey tacos, which come piled high with great ingredients and fresh flavor. The margaritas are always well poured and make for friendly conversation at its welcoming bar and community-minded tables.
El Barzon Restaurante
The Skip Detroit
Imperial