Surf, sun, and fun all come together in this popular take on the traditional summer cocktail!
During my summers home from college, I’d sometimes spend the early part of the day (before the crowds came in) at the local seafood restaurant, eating lobster tail and drinking tall Blue Margaritas, dreaming of California and the Pacific Ocean. When I moved to Los Angeles, many years later, that cocktail was one of the first things I had after getting off the plane.
While the exact details of the Blue Margarita’s origins are shrouded in mystery, it is likely to have first appeared around the 1960s, when vibrant cocktails became more fashionable and blue curaçao took off in popularity. The original Margarita, created in Mexico in the 1930s or 1940s, is traditionally made with tequila, lime, and triple sec, while this variation switches out the triple sec for blue curaçao.
Blue curaçao not only gives the Blue Margarita its vibrant, aquatic color, but it also adds a sweeter and slightly bitter citrus taste, as it’s made from the bitter laraha orange, which grows on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. And if you want to make sure you know how to make the perfect classic Margarita before tackling this one, Twist and Toast has you covered! Check out our recipe here: How to Make a Perfect Margarita.
What is the best tequila to use?
Silver tequila, sometimes called blanco, is the ideal spirit for this cocktail. It easily carries the flavors of curaçao and lime, keeping everything together, bright and not too sweet. When it’s a hot summer day and you’re ready to mix some of these up, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of Patrón or Don Julio.
Ingredients
- Salt and lime wedge for the rim, optional
- 1 1/2 ounces tequila
- 1 ounce blue curaçao liqueur
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- Lime wedge for garnish, optional
Instructions
- If you’d like, salt the rim of your glass by running a lime wedge around the edge and then dipping it into a plate of salt.
- In a shaker, combine the tequila, blue curaçao, and lime juice over ice. Shake well until mixed.
- Strain the mixture into your prepared glass. You can serve it over ice if preferred. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish are used?
For a drink as good-looking as the Blue Margarita, you’ll want a nice, long-stemmed coupe or margarita glass. Chill your glass in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve.
What’s the difference between this and a frozen Blue Margarita?
A blender! Instead of shaking the drink in a cocktail shaker and serving it on the rocks, take those ice cubes along with the other ingredients, put them into a blender and pulse mix until it’s nice and smooth and blue.
Other Margarita variations worth trying
If margaritas of any variety are your thing, then Twist & Toast has you covered! We have several different recipes for you to try out, with even more to come! Check out a few of them below:
- Tajín Margarita – For something a little spicier, give this recipe a spin.
- Watermelon Margarita – Try this version for an extra-refreshing variation.
- The Tommy’s Margarita – Created in 1990s San Francisco, you won’t want to miss this summertime classic.
- Texas Margarita – Saddle up for the Lone Star State’s take on the original.
Leave a Comment