Oh the humanity! I cringe as I watch people cruising down the frozen food aisle and actually buying those pre-made frozen margarita mixes. I mean, they're OK, but they're a far cry from the glorious drink that is a true margarita. Since making an authentic margarita is so easy, skip the pre-made mixes and squeeze a few limes instead!

I've made thousands and thousands of margaritas, and our customers always rave about how great they are. There's really no secret, just start with a few good ingredients and it will taste great!

Margarita recipe (for one glass)

1oz white tequila

1/2ox triple sec,

3/4 ounce freshly squeezed key lime juice

3/4 ounce simple syrup

Ice

Mix together all the ingredients and serve over ice cubes in a salt rimmed tumbler or margarita glass. If you prefer a frozen margarita, the ingredients are the same but use crushed ice instead of ice cubes. Fill the glass you intend to serve the dink in about 3/4 full of crushed ice, and add this ice to a blender along with all the other ingredients.

You will love this easy classic drink!

Simple syrup is made by boiling equal parts sugar and water into a syrup. This will keep indefinitely in the fridge and is really handy to have around for all sorts of things.

Blenders today advertise "ice crushing modes" but none of them really work well. You're much better off putting some ice in a bag and smashing it up manually with a hammer or heavy pan first. It's not as hard as it sounds, and will really work a lot better.

I don't believe that there is a lot to gain by buying very expensive tequila for use in a margarita. You may want to stay away from any bottles priced worryingly low, but a basic mid range tequila will work fine.