Best Margarita Toast Off – Take Two

Recounting the Tale

Margaritas are one of the most popular cocktails in the world, but where did it first begin? Well, the history is a bit muddy with many (at least 6) claiming the throne on this classic, but I’ll expand on two versions (the one I ascribe to and the one I relate to the most).

The tale I ascribe to: David Wondrich, a cocktail historian and author of Imbibe!, believes Americans who visited a racetrack just outside Tijuana, circa 1929, sipped on tequila-based cocktails that fell under a category of drinks previously known as “daisies” – spirit, citrus, and sweetening agent. Daisy in Spanish translates to… you guessed it, “Margarita.”

“The margarita is simply a tequila daisy. It’s not named after a woman, and it wasn’t invented in the 1940s. It’s an older drink than that, and it’s a more humble one. But it’s still one of the best cocktails ever created.”

David Wondrich, Imbibe!

The tale I find most entertaining: The manager of the Garci Crespo Hotel in Puebla, Mexico, Danny Negrete, made the margarita for his girlfriend, Margarita. As the story goes, she liked to eat salt with anything she drank (I can relate!) and couldn’t keep her hand out of the salt bowl… that is, until Danny decided salt the rim on the glass.

The Toast Off

• 10 tasters
• 8 margarita recipes
• All cocktails were made within minutes of each other to allow for side by side tastings, since cocktails can change dramatically over time (as things like temperature and dilution change)
• All cocktails were shaken and strained
• All cocktails were served in identical glassware and without garnish (I know, I know salt rim lovers… but this is the way)
• Each taster ranked each cocktail in order from 1-8 (worst to best) for overall flavor, with additional tasting notes on each
• All cocktails were measured strictly according to the recipe instructions but omitted any garnish or ice serving instructions as to keep these as identical in appearance as possible

• Cimarron Blanco Tequila
• Pantalones Tequila Blanco
• Don Roberto Reposado
• Cointreau Liqueur
• Grand Marnier Liqueur
• Ritual Zero Proof Non-Alcoholic Tequila
• Seedlip Grove 42 Non-Alcoholic Spirit
• Supasawa Seriously Sour Cocktail Mixer
• Persian Lime
• Key Lime
• Simple Syrup
• Agave Syrup
• Coconut Syrup
• Egg white
• Saline solution
• Habanero Tincture

• Cocktails by the Book / Death and Co.: One of our favorite cocktail bars in NYC and a top bar in the world.
• Bon Appetit: Winner from the previous margarita tasting.
• ChatGPT: We couldn’t find a good key lime recipe and decided to see if ChatGPT could craft one that seemed fit to be in one of the top 50 bars in the world and this is what it came up with.
• Reddit: Who doesn’t occasionally visit Reddit to see what the most opinionated people on the planet have decided is best?
• Chris (@notjustabartender): To see if clarified margaritas are worth the hype, specifically when using a new supa popular lime alternative, supasawa.
• Toasty Bird Original Non-Alcoholic (Take 2): Need a non-alcoholic option to throw people off and test them, this is an iteration on our original toasty bird non-alcoholic version.
• Defined Dish: This is a very solid option, the egg whites provide a creaminess and this is one of Aaron’s go-to weekday margaritas.
• Tyler Gum’s Recipe: A recipe from one of our esteemed panelists, a very popular drink in the Gums household, this heavy-hitting cocktail is also known as a “knockout margarita.”

Full Rankings

8. Best for Orange Lovers: Tyler Gum’s Margarita

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces of tequila blanco (Cimarron)
• 1.5 ounces of Grand Marnier
• 1.5 ounces of lime juice
• 1 barspoon of agave nectar

Taster Notes:

• Sweet orange flavor with boozy notes
• Too citrusy, mildly tart

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7. Best for a Smooth Sip: Defined Dish Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of tequila blanco
• 0.5 ounce of triple sec (Cointreau)
• 1 ounce of lime juice
• 1 ounce of simple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of egg whites

Taster Notes:

• Sweeter, traditional taste
• Smooth, well-balanced, but nothing standout

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6. Best for a Unique Non-Alcoholic Twist: Toasty Bird Original Non-Alcoholic Margarita (Take 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of ritual non-alcoholic tequila
• 0.5 ounce of Seedlip 42 non-alcoholic spirit
• 0.5 ounce of agave syrup
• 0.75 ounce of lime juice
• 2 dashes of habanero tincture

Taster Notes:

• Fruit forward and fresh
• Spicy with a unique flavor

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5. Best for a Clarified Twist: Chris (@notjustabartender) Margarita

Ingredients:

• 0.25 ounce of simple syrup
• 0.5 ounce of Cointreau
• 0.5 ounce of sūpāsawā
• 1.5 ounces of blanco tequila
• Optional: a few dashes of saline solution

Taster Notes:

• Clean and balanced
• Intense with high citrus aftertaste

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4. Best for a Classic Sour: Reddit Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of tequila blanco
• 0.75 ounce of lime juice
• 0.75 ounce of Cointreau
• 0.25 ounce of agave syrup
• 3 drops of 20% saline

Taster Notes:

• Citrus forward with a hint of agave
• Spicy and traditional

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3. Best for Tequila Enthusiasts: ChatGPT Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of aged tequila (reposado)
• 1 ounce of premium orange liqueur (e.g., Cointreau)
• 1 ounce of fresh key lime juice
• 0.5 ounce of coconut simple syrup

Taster Notes:

• Tequila forward with a hint of lime
• Balanced, less sweet, and stronger

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2. Best for a Sweet Vanilla Note: Bon Appetit Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of tequila blanco (Cimarron)
• 0.75 ounce of lime juice
• 0.75 ounce of simple syrup

Taster Notes:

• Sweeter with high orange hints
• Smooth with a vanilla aftertaste

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1. Best for a Smoky Classic: Cocktails by the Book / Death and Co. Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of tequila blanco (Siembra Azul or Cimarron)
• 0.75 ounce of Cointreau
• 1 ounce of lime juice
• 0.25 ounce of agave nectar

Taster Notes:

• Spicier taste with a smoky smell
• Fruity, classic, and balanced