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Ryan Phillippe Margarita

This margarita derives its name from a post by Jeremy Brown to the SGI internal bad-attitude newsgroup (an industry first to my knowledge, where engineers could rant and rave to their heart's content without management interference) on the day of his departure from the company. It happens to be the best recipe for a margarita that I've found to date (and I've had a few!).

1 part lime juice (1 lime ~= 1 shot)
1 part triple sec
2 parts tequila
2 parts sweet & sour mix

It's important that the lime be juicy and tart (and I highly recommend purchasing a lime squeezer, shown in the picture on the right, if you plan to make more than a few). It's also important not to overdo the triple sec, adding less than one full part is sometimes advisable lest the margarita end up too syrupy or sweet.

The tequila and sweet & sour mix have the most dramatic effect on the quality of the resulting beverage.

Squeeze a lime into a shaker part filled with ice. Add one shot triple sec, 2 shots tequila, and 2 shots of the sweet & sour mix and shake well. Serve over ice or straight up, either with salted or unsalted glasses (salt can enhance the flavor but may not be necessary if you've made a particularly good batch).

Recommended tequilas (in order of quality):

Smooth:

1. Gran Centenario Anejo (~$50/bottle)
2. Patron Anejo (~$45/bottle)
3. Herradura Anejo (~$40/bottle)
4. Sauza Hornitos Reposado (~$25/bottle)

   Smokey:

5. El Teporocho Silver - comes in a neat, handmade bottle (~$30/bottle)

Some say that one shouldn't waste good tequila on margaritas. They're wrong. Using a good tequila is tremendously important in making a good margarita. That said, several of the above make quite tasty sipping tequilas.

Recommended sweet & sour mixes (in order of quality):

1. Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy's Top Shelf Margarita Mix
2. Pearl-Glo

Not Recommended:

• Sauza margarita mix - this stuff isn't very good

It's important to look for mixes that contain real lemon and/or lime juice, as they tend to taste much better than those without. Pearl-Glo is an exception in that it doesn't contain actual lemon or lime juice, but is still quite good. It can be hard to find though; Beltramos in Menlo Park in the Bay Area is where I usually get it. What I don't recommend is Sauza's so-called margarita mix. That stuff is pretty bad.

Alternately, you can make it yourself, but it's rather involved. You have to make a good mix of lemon juice, lime juice, water, and sugar, then boil it down to taste. If you've done this and have a favorite recipe, feel free to send it here and I'll happily post it for the benefit of margarita lovers worldwide.