Award Winning Margarita

JJ Ahern, bartender at El Camino Community Tavern, won a cocktail contest in Mexico with this recipe. Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces Olmeca Altos Silver tequila (or we like Centarrio gold)
• ½ ounce fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce coconut water
• 1 ounce cinnamon-infused tangerine juice
• ¾ ounce ginger-peach juice
• ¾ ounce agave nectar
• Cinnamon-sugar
• Sliced white peaches
• Peeled and sliced fresh ginger

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the ingredients and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar. Garnish with peach and ginger slices.

Notes

The usual recipe is:

• 2 ounces blanco tequila

• Juice of 1 whole lime
• ½ ounce triple sec, preferably Cointreau
• Salt for rim (optional)
• Lime wedge, for garnish

Some random notes on Clase Azul, Patron, El Padrono and other high end sipping tequilas. Just like with Grey Goose in vodkas, high end tequila is all about branding and packaging. There really isn’t a huge difference between Patron and any other unaged blanco tequila. The same plants and processes are used, creating a similar end result. The only difference between this tequila and some others is the branding, which is where most of the focus is spent. And it shows.   However, Clase Azul is widely reviewed as the best dipping tequila.  For me, I don’t find it much different than El Padrono, which is the best agave under $20, and six times less expensive.  Exotico Blanco is also great.  Centarrio was my favorite aged tequila from back in my living in Mexico City days.