Most people think they know how to make the perfect margarita.  Some people even have their own little secrets that make their margaritas "special."  And while that may be true, I have had the opportunity to shadow and learn from some of the best.  You may be able to take some of my tips and apply them to your own recipe and create an AMAZING margarita.

So lets start with the tequila.  Using any other tequila other than 100% blue agave is a sin in the art of margarita making.  Using mixtos, or blends, adds nothing but a bunch of fillers, sugars and coloring agents.  I don't want to single any particular brands out but for the sake of this article, I'm talking about Jose Cuervo and Sauza gold style tequilas.  You want to use 100% blue agave tequila....but you also don't want to spend an arm and a leg on it, either.  Since you are mixing the tequila in a drink, you don't want to waste a premium sipping tequila in a margarita.  That would be like using a single scotch whisky in a Rob Roy or a Rusty Nail.  A good, economical suggestion would be Sauza Hornitos, Sauza Conmemorativo, Don Julio Blanco/Reposado...just to name a few.

Now that we have the tequila taken care of you need to use a premium orange liqueur.  There are a couple good brands to choose from....Cointreau, Patron Citronge, and Luxardo.  I suggest staying away from cheaper, run of the mill orange liqueurs such as Bols.  These liqueurs tend to be super sugary and also filled with a bunch of hangover material.

Okay, this is the part where most people ruin their margaritas.  Do not...I repeat...Do Not buy sweet and sour mix.  It is filled with sugar (not good for the wasteline), will give you a major case of heartburn, and will leave you the morning after feeling like someone took a hammer to your head.  Instead, we are going to mix our margaritas with 100% agave nectar and fresh squeezed lime juice.  You want to take the concentrated agave nectar and mix it with equal parts water.  Shake until thoroughly incorporated.

To begin making your margarita, you want to add 1 1/2 oz tequila, 1/2 oz orange liqueur, 1 oz lime juice, 1 oz agave nectar mix and ice.  Shake all ingredients vigorously in a shaker and strain over fresh ice into a margarita glass or bucket glass.

There you have it, folks!  Experiment and enjoy!