Need a recipe for 5 gallons of margaritas

I want to fill up an empty slot on my brew tower and I think I have settled on making a keg of margaritas because....it seems like an idea that can't possibly have a bad ending right?

I was thinking something like this for a 1 gallon batch:
1 tube limeade concentrate
1 tube lemonade concentrate
1 tube tripel sec
6 cups of tequila

I know it wouldn't be slush but I'm sure I could serve it over ice. Being carbonated might lend good things to the drinks too.

ideas?

anyone got a better recipe? I want to do it as cheaply as possible so that's why I am using the concentrate tubes.

I'm a huge tequila fan, and I just can't wrap my head around this. Margaritas are best freshly mixed. If this works out, more power to you, but I just can't picture that fate for my favorite mixed drink.

I've been to bars that have Margarita's essentially on tap here in KC (Ponaks, Kokopelli's), but they are not carbonated, not sure how that would turn out.

To be honest, I do not see anything going wrong with it. Except somone else drinking all your hooch over a 2 day party.......

Maybe some Tequila mix like the on the border stuff as filler. 5 gallons of Margaritas just sounds like a lot.

Ya, they are best mixed on the spot.

-A good 100% agave blanco or reposado
-Fresh lime juice
-agave syrup
- Cointreau or gran mariner

You can leave out the orange liqour, but I feel it isn't quite a margarita without it

I'm a resposado man myself. Anejo is too spicy for my tastes and blanco just lacks something. Resposado tequilas are the most palate pleasing liquid in the world for me. YUP, even more so than beer!

I've always been a fan of the simple recipe. There are three ingredients, and only three aside from the salt on the glass.

First and foremost, the tequila. No need for the absolute highest quality (though it certainly doesn't hurt), but make damn sure it says "100% de agave" on the bottle and don't buy the cheapest one in the store that does. Blanco (white/silver, unaged) is the classic, but reposado (gold, aged three months to a year) is a good choice too. Añejo (aged at least a year) and extrañejo (aged at least three years) should never be used for mixing - sip them neat like a fine whiskey, and don't bother buying them if you're not getting top-shelf.

Next, the lime juice. Fresh-squeezed is ideal, though in this quantity that's unlikely; avoid anything with too many preservatives and do not, under any circumstances, use Rose's (a lime-flavored ingredient that does not substitute, at all, for lime juice). My go-to is Nellie & Joe's when I don't feel like squeezing my own limes.

Finally, Cointreau. There is no substitute. Not some other brand of triple sec, not Grand Marnier (although that stuff is delicious), Cointreau and Cointreau alone.

The most iconic proportions, in my mind, are 3:1:1. Some people like drier, some sweeter; anywhere from 4:1:1 to 2:1:1 to taste. For a bit more tartness, some people mix 3:2:1 or 4:2:1, but I wouldn't go above 1.5x as much lime juice as cointreau without adding a splash of a sweetener such as agave syrup. Just keep it simple - three gallons tequila, a gallon of lime juice, and a gallon of Cointreau. Serve in a salted glass, over ice.

Airborneguy said:

I'm a resposado man myself. Anejo is too spicy for my tastes and blanco just lacks something.

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Me too. IMO, anejo covers up the agave taste far too much.

Airborneguy said:

I'm a resposado man myself. Anejo is too spicy for my tastes and blanco just lacks something. Resposado tequilas are the most palate pleasing liquid in the world for me. YUP, even more so than beer!

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I favor reposado in my margaritas. Blanco is the classic choice, and is what I'd serve somebody who merely said they wanted a margarita and didn't have known preferences, so it's also what I'd mix in quantity for a crowd (though really, I wouldn't likely do that), but for myself, yeah, reposado.

Añejo is absolutely delicious, but like the higher end of bourbon turning it into a cocktail does it no favors.

IBA lists the ratios at 7:4:3 (tequila:Cointreau:lime juice). Not a bad ratio, but I probably prefer it 7:3:4 instead. Either way, these are both very similar to 2:1:1, which is actually perfectly in between the two.

IMO, it's important to use the thinner-skinned key limes, if you can find them.

Also, a lot of places use simple syrup or another sweetener as well.

emjay said:

IBA lists the ratios at 7:4:3 (tequila:Cointreau:lime juice). Not a bad ratio, but I probably prefer it 7:3:4 instead. Either way, these are both very similar to 2:1:1, which is actually perfectly in between the two.

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Almost everyone I've known likes it drier than IBA specs, though.

IMO, it's important to use the thinner-skinned key limes, if you can find them.

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The brand of bottled lime juice I suggested, Nellie & Joe's, is made from key limes.

runningweird said:

I know it wouldn't be slush but I'm sure I could serve it over ice.

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Just noticed this. Over ice (or even straight up) is actually the traditional and proper way to make a margarita. The frozen/blended version is not even a margarita IMO.

We do Cazadores Repasado, GM or Cointreau and lime juice. 2:1:1

triangulum33 said:

We do Cazadores Repasado

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That's my "basic" brand that I ALWAYS have on hand.

well shoot, didn't know this would open such a keg of worms, ha.

I like my drinks mixed fresh as well, and usually stick to beer - except during the summer when we have lots of fresh ingredients to play with. Usually it's just my wife and I drinking - recently I have had a brew buddy but my pipeline was low before recently.

The margarita idea was one that I thought would be neat - longevity wouldn't be a problem using the ingredients I listed, and while not fresh it would be cool to be able to pull one from a tap.

I did learn a lot from the posts above, looks like I might make some single serving drinks soon....

i think if I had a party a keg of margaritas would be a great idea, but with small children a party is not something I will be having soon....stupid parenthood.

If you let it site for too long it will seperate. I bottle premixed margaritas for a out of town concert. i had to shack it up before pouring it.

scottland said:

Ya, they are best mixed on the spot.

-A good 100% agave blanco or reposado
-Fresh lime juice
-agave syrup
- Cointreau or gran mariner

You can leave out the orange liqour, but I feel it isn't quite a margarita without it

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i do this w/o the cointreau, but i am trying to imagine how expensive a corny keg of this would be....

The #1 favorite recipe among my friends:

1.5 oz good teq.
3/4 oz Patron Citron
1.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz simple syrup

It's awesome, but it packs a wollop.

I've increased all of this to pitcher size, but I'm not sure how the lime juice would hold up over time.

I was going to echo what scottland said, but IMO, the orange liquor is optional. If using, Citronge and Luxardo Triplum are both much better quality than your basic cheap Tripel Sec and still cheaper options than Cointreau and Grand Marnier.

The most simple, yet quality margarita for bulk use is:

*100% Blue Agave Tequila Blanco (I prefer the bright flavors of agave in blancos for margs)
*Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice to taste (Strain pulp to prevent clogging & off flavors)
*Light Agave Syrup to taste (You want to achieve a balance of sweet and sour)
*Some water or juice for smoothing out the flavor if your mix tastes like jet fuel (I like prickly pear juice)
*Ice cubes in the glass (Before you pour the mix on top)

NO SALT!!

The cheapest, quality tequilas are all $20-30 - Some options: Espolon, Tezon, Hornitos, Siete Leguas... and Lunazul to a lesser extent.

Check out the forums at http://www.tequila.net/forum/ to learn more traditional and modern tequila recipes.

For the kegged and carbonated idea, CO2 will make it taste more acidic. Drop the lime down or sweeten. There is info around, check the Cooking Issues podcast backlog.

http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2006/a-gallon-of-margaritas/

makes one gallon.

6 cups tequila (you’ll need to buy two fifths for this)
2½ cups triple sec (just buy one fifth, please)
2½ cups fresh lime juice
2½ cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups simple syrup

Mix ingredients together in gallon container. Don’t forget to refrigerate! When ready to serve, pour mixture into a 16-ounce glass filled with ice. Salted rim is optional.

Makes 21 margaritas.

sunlandwines said:

http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2006/a-gallon-of-margaritas/

makes one gallon.

6 cups tequila (you’ll need to buy two fifths for this)
2½ cups triple sec (just buy one fifth, please)
2½ cups fresh lime juice
2½ cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups simple syrup

Mix ingredients together in gallon container. Don’t forget to refrigerate! When ready to serve, pour mixture into a 16-ounce glass filled with ice. Salted rim is optional.

Makes 21 margaritas.

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And that just put into perspective for me how dang expensive 5 gallons of margaritas would cost. I'd be needing to have a huge cover charge for my party to justify anything resembling this. wow.