As you may have picked up by now, my friends and I love a friendly cocktail competition. After the Sangria competition for my birthday, we decided to continue with a margarita competition. There were no rules other than the drink had to be classified as a margarita. — Stephanie Roberts

Seasonality

First, margaritas may represent the summer to many. For me, like Champagne, I don’t put margaritas in a season or event category. Margaritas can be enjoyed any time of year by leveraging seasonal ingredients.

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In late September, the Sunday before the competition, I went to Josh’s Farmers Market in Mooresville for seasonal inspiration. I picked up limes, mandarins, and blood oranges. My husband and I tested four recipes/flavors including classic, mandarin, blood orange, and pomegranate. It was a tough choice, but we narrowed it down to the mandarin and the blood orange as the top two flavors and we worked on refining these recipes. Ultimately, we went with the Blood Orange Margarita for our competition submission.

And the winner is…

It was a tough competition with six margarita recipes entered ranging from a classic to a watermelon, mango, and two jalapeño inspired recipes. Each couple served the margaritas with garnishes and presented their submission to the group. The Blood Orange Margarita won the competition, just one point ahead of a delicious Spicy Grapefruit Jalapeño Margarita.

Blood Orange Margarita Recipe

1.5 ounces          White Tequila (we use Herradura Silver)

2.5 ounces          Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange juice

0.5 ounces          Fresh Squeezed lime juice

1 ounce                Blood Orange Liqueur (we use Solerno)

0.5 ounces          Simple Syrup

Margarita Salt or Sugar (optional)

Lime and/or Blood Orange slices for garnish

Ice

Instructions

Our competition margaritas

Mix the first five ingredients in a shaker cup filled with ice and shake. If adding salt or sugar to the glass, then rub a lime slice around the rim and dip in flavor of your choice. Pour mixture into the glass and enjoy. Garnish with a slice of lime or blood orange.

NOTE: Fresh squeezed juice really makes these margaritas delicious! The time commitment is well worth the outcome. I usually squeeze a lot of juice and keep in in the fridge, if I will use it within a few days (or up to a week). You can also freeze it in ice cube trays and thaw it as needed.

ENJOY!

Photos courtesy Stephanie Roberts

Stephanie Roberts, WSET® Certified, is passionate about educating people about wine and all its complexities. She believes that through education comes enlightenment and approachability – elevating the wine and food experience. Stephanie offers unique and tailored wine experiences.

Wine education and topic-driven tastings are now available virtually and in-person for private groups. Choose to attend a scheduled class such as the 4-part Wine Education Series or customize a session to your specific interests. Corporate happy hours (virtual for now) are also available. Contact Stephanie directly through FB, IG or email (corksandboards@gmail.com) or reserve your spot at a public event through FB (@Corks&Boards) or Eventbrite.

 

 

 

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