Blood Orange Margarita cocktail recipe

The Margarita is sort of like the jam track of the cocktail world; the 12-bar blues of booze, if you will. For some reason, our brains are just wired to appreciate that simple yet holy triumvirate of tequila, triple sec and citrus. But from those humble foundations emerges an endless world of opportunity – to infuse one’s own flair or flavour. To riff on a classic. And that’s how we ended up with so many delicious variations of the OG, and not least this Blood Orange Margarita.

Sticking to the musical analogies, if the Spicy Buch-erita (made with kombucha and hot sauce) is the free jazz improv solo of Margaritas, then the Blood Orange Margarita is the short, sharp ad-lib. Truth be told, it’s not that far off the original. A good blanco tequila, triple sec and fresh lime lay down the rhythm; a lick of fresh blood orange juice and a dash of red bitter liqueur supply the melody. Served in a rocks glass over ice, its closest cousin is arguably the Tommy’s.

It is a little zippier than its ancestors, however, with that deft injection of bitters and blood orange making what was old feel brand new again. Where the classic Margarita is a familiar favourite, the Blood Orange Margarita branches out with added bite and complexity. It’s sort of like the difference between Prince and Blood Orange – both of which make for an excellent soundtrack to this terrific beverage. Press play, shake, sip.

Ever wondered how bartenders get the salt to stick to the rim of the glass? It’s actually super easy. Just take a fresh lime and slice it into quarters. Cut a little notch into one of the wedges (about 1cm deep) and run it around the rim of your chosen glassware. For this cocktail, halfway around is perfect. This is sort of like your glue.

Then, pour some salt onto a plate. The flakier the better, but good old table salt works just fine. Dredge your glass (citrus-side first) in the salt and hey presto – you’ve got yourself a professionally salt-rimmed glass.