Post college, I lived across the street from a Mexican cantina with a lively bar scene. They served glowing green (or worse—red or blue) margaritas in glasses the size of my head. The sugar, corn syrup, and preservatives (not to mention all those wasted calories) were enough to leave you hungover for days.
Flash forward to me learning what’s actually in pre-made food and cocktail mixes: I’d rather be sipping water at a Jimmy Buffet concert than have one of those Cabo Cantina margaritas.
My fiancé, who moonlights as our in-house bartender, introduced me to the 3-2-1—a clean, tangy margarita perfect for ringing in Cinco de Mayo.* Sometimes I prefer “3-2-2” with more lime juice, so adjust the proportions to your liking.
Watch me make a 3-2-1 LIVE with Pinterest & Brit+Co
Watch full recipe video here:
Food La La Recipe: 3-2-1 Margaritas
Serves:
Ingredients:
- 3 oz tequila
- 2 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice (zest lime first)
- Soda water
- Kosher salt and lime zest
Steps:
- Chop lime zest and combine on small plate with kosher or rock salt.
- Run a lime wedge around rim of each glass and flip over into salt mixture. Press salt along the edges to ensure it sticks well.
- In a shaker or mason jar, combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. Add ice and shake.
- Put one large ice cube in each glass, and pour in margarita mixture.
- Top with splash of soda water.
- Garnish with slice of lime.
Psst! A few recipe notes:
Note: If you’re making these for a group, squeeze your limes in advance.
Note: I have to mention that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, and is not widely celebrated in Mexico. Though we love to sip margaritas on the 5th of May, they really have nothing to do with the history of this holiday. (Thank you Erica Garlieb for this important reminder!)
