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Hellp! Can I make a margarita with no mixes?!

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Yooper

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I just got a call- neighborhood friends are stopping over in a few. I have my kegerator up and running, so that's great for beer. But the lady guest drinks mostly vodka/soda pop type things.

I have tequila, limes, lemons, oranges, and various other things in the kitchen. No club soda, soda pop, or juices (except some tomato juice). Does anybody have any good ideas what I can offer her for a drink? Sort of a poor-man's margarita? That would be appreciated!
 
A friend of mine makes them with just tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, and salt (on the rim). Shake in a shaker with ice and serve. I'm not big on margaritas but I like hers.
 
There's a couple simple recipes here... http://www.artofdrink.com/archive/popular-cocktails/the-margarita-recipe/ and it sounds like you have everything you need.

The "poor man's margarita" I make in the summer (makes a pitcher full) is a 12 oz can of sprite, 12 oz Jose Cuervo SilverTequila, a tube of Minute Maid Limeade frozen concentrate, and a 12 oz Mexican lager (Model Especial).
 
You can sub simple syrup for contreau... I'm sure watered down honey would do the job... shot of orange juice probably wouldn't hurt.
 
If you have enough lemons and limes, I would think you could squeeze some of those to combine with the tequila. Even better if you can throw it all in a blender with ice to make a frozen lemon/lime margarita. You are really just missing the triple sec. I think you could get by with a bit of orange squeezed in to replace.

A creative use of fruit on hand.
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Real-Margaritas-Recipezaar
 
No cointreau (but I have oranges!). And no soda (don't drink it).

Could I quickly make a mix? I'm sure I don't have sugar. But I do have some honey that I keep on hand.

I'd be inclined to try a simple syrup with a bit of orange as a substitute. :drunk:
 
There's a couple simple recipes here... http://www.artofdrink.com/archive/popular-cocktails/the-margarita-recipe/ and it sounds like you have everything you need.

The "poor man's margarita" I make in the summer (makes a pitcher full) is a 12 oz can of sprite, 12 oz Jose Cuervo SilverTequila, a tube of Minute Maid Limeade frozen concentrate, and a 12 oz Mexican lager (Model Especial).

I've got the poor man's margaritas on tap for my girlfriend right now. Very refreshing!
 
This.

Use simple syrup as suggested above if you don't have triple sec or cointreau. I try to avoid using store bought margarita mix - it's usually way too sweet and tastes fake to me.

+1 million. If you're using mix, it isn't a margarita IMO. Tequila, lime juice and Orange juice and a little sugar (if you dont have triple sec)
 
Best margaritas I have ever had were very simple. Normally, I am strongly against using anything but cheap tequila in margarita, but these needs something at least decent to good. Pint glass filled with ice. Fall glass about 2/3 with tequila, take it to about 3/4 full with grand marnier, a small splash of simple syrup, and fill the rest with fresh lime juice.
 
Limes and tequila... Any salt??

Yep, plenty of salt!

How'd it turn out?

I hadn't seen these friends (Texas neighbors) in nearly a year, and they brought their own tubs of cocktails, knowing that I'm usually without any hard stuff. They looked at the kegerator set up in the second fridge in the kitchen, and promised to come back for a beer soon.

I never drink soda or use sugar, so there isn't any in the house at all. But now I'm thinking that I will be using some of my citrus fruit and making tequila cocktails!
 
Triple Sec is a good cheap substitution for Cointreau. Fresh squeezed limes + orange juice + triple sec + lots of tequila = quality margarita.

That's my favorite recipe anyways...
 
There's a couple simple recipes here... http://www.artofdrink.com/archive/popular-cocktails/the-margarita-recipe/ and it sounds like you have everything you need.

The "poor man's margarita" I make in the summer (makes a pitcher full) is a 12 oz can of sprite, 12 oz Jose Cuervo SilverTequila, a tube of Minute Maid Limeade frozen concentrate, and a 12 oz Mexican lager (Model Especial).

I ended up picking up some triple sec today, and am having a margarita with just freshly squeezed lime, good tequila, and a bit of triple sec. The rim is salted with sea salt, and this margarita is VERY drinkable. It's about 75 degrees but much hotter in the sun, and this margarita disappeared way too fast!!!!!
 
Triple Sec is a good cheap substitution for Cointreau. Fresh squeezed limes + orange juice + triple sec + lots of tequila = quality margarita.

That's my favorite recipe anyways...

I am wondering if I should do exactly this for the next one- but in the blender with some ice? Maybe it would slow me down a bit. That first margarita disappeared in about 3 minutes. I'll be trashed before dinner.
 
this takes a little time but if you're lacking mixers but have fruit (particularly citrus) and some form of sugar on hand you can make an ad hoc Granita by zesting a few limes or lemons and making a syrup by boiling the fruit with sugar and water until it become somewhat gelatenous. put it in a wide baking dish and freeze.

this becomes the tart/sweet flavor base of your drink. add it frozen to a shaker with your liquor and some lime juice. shake and serve. usually pretty good and a lot better than drinking cheap liquor straight.
 
Minute maid frozen Lime juice concentrate + triple sec + tequila

I can't remember the exact proportions, but I think it's about two cans of tequila, half a can of triple sec(this might be high) to a can of lime juice. You can add OJ, pineapple juice,frozen strawberries, or frozen blueberries for variety.

Every 4th of July, I set the margaritaville gizmo out next to a bucket of ice and a pitcher filled with this concoction. Every year it all disappears and people fall down.
 
1 can coco Lopez.
1/2 cup plus 1tbsp tequila
1/4 cup plus 1tbsp Cointreau
1/2 cup lime juice
Crapload of ice.

Mix In blender. Stolen from Martha Stewart, made it so many times I can do it by memory
 
I love Margaritas on the rocks and frozen. I suck at making frozen drinks so I almost always have them on the rocks.

My favorite recipe is:

3 parts good Tequila (usually 1.5 ounces. I LOVE Patron.)
2 parts fresh squeezed lime
1 part Grand Mariner
Agave Nectar to taste (usually no more than .5 oz)

Give it a nice good shake with ice and serve it in a rocks glass over ice.

If you are planning on making a lot of Margaritas or other mixed drinks you can make your own sweet and sour mix for use in all sorts of drinks (like Long Islands :)). I juice both limes and lemons (2 to 1 ratio) and add simple syrup to taste, probably about 2 limes, 1 lemon to 1 cup of simple syrup (I honestly cant remember because I don't usually measure.)
 
There's a couple simple recipes here... http://www.artofdrink.com/archive/popular-cocktails/the-margarita-recipe/ and it sounds like you have everything you need.

The "poor man's margarita" I make in the summer (makes a pitcher full) is a 12 oz can of sprite, 12 oz Jose Cuervo SilverTequila, a tube of Minute Maid Limeade frozen concentrate, and a 12 oz Mexican lager (Model Especial).

We call these "Beer-garitas". My SWMBO found the recipe, but left out the Sprite. Last summer we mixed three pitchers using different beers and had a family taste test. The beers were Corona, Miller Lite, and a Scottish Brown Ale from the Kenai River Brewing Co. Brown Ale Beer-garita won! (Alaskan Amber makes a good one too.)
 
There's a couple simple recipes here... http://www.artofdrink.com/archive/popular-cocktails/the-margarita-recipe/ and it sounds like you have everything you need.

The "poor man's margarita" I make in the summer (makes a pitcher full) is a 12 oz can of sprite, 12 oz Jose Cuervo SilverTequila, a tube of Minute Maid Limeade frozen concentrate, and a 12 oz Mexican lager (Model Especial).

I make a 2 beer margarita with 2 cans of frozen limeaid, 2 12oz bottles corona, and 1 bottle tequila. Its pretty strong and will catch up to you quick, but it tastes great!
 
I am wondering if I should do exactly this for the next one- but in the blender with some ice? Maybe it would slow me down a bit. That first margarita disappeared in about 3 minutes. I'll be trashed before dinner.

I prefer on the rocks, but each to their own! Let me know how it turns out.
 
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