Easy, homemade margaritas with fresh lime juice and a delicious mango puree are all you need to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home!
Although I am not much of a mixologist, I think there is a very strong case for making margaritas at home. Unlike some cocktails, which require multiple bottles of pricey spirits, a margarita only really requires one liquor: tequila. Preferably 100% agave tequila blanco, by the way. All of the other ingredients are things you might normally have on hand (limes!) or can easily buy without spending too much.
But, when you are at the store picking up limes or agave nectar for your homemade margaritas, do not say to yourself, “Oh, maybe I will just buy this bottle of sour mix instead.” Put down that bottle and slowly back away. Sour mix is full of artifical flavors, corn syrup, preservatives, artificial colors — that nuclear green does not occur in nature — and tastes like it.
And, by the way, unless you are at a really nice bar or restaurant, the margarita you just ordered will most likely be made with sour mix from a bottle. So, yet another reason to stay home this Cinco de Mayo and make your own drinks.
A classic margarita is simply tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice and agave nectar. If you don’t have agave nectar, and don’t feel like buying it just for making margaritas — it does have other uses, of course — you can substitute simple syrup instead. This is a drink that anyone can make it at home and when you do, you will be amazed at the fresh taste and perfect balance of flavors.
In today’s recipe for a mango margarita — mangos being another classic Mexican ingredient — I am adding only a tiny bit of work to create an extra special drink for Cinco de Mayo. Mangos are plentiful and inexpensive right now and I cannot resist when I spy crates of them at the grocery store. Everyone in my family loves mango: in smoothies, as a topping for overnight oats, or in a fresh salsa.
The natural sweetness of the mango works so well in cocktails, especially when paired with citrus. And the bright orange color looks so festive. This mango margarita may make its first appearance on Cinco de Mayo, but you can be sure it will be coming out of my home bar all summer long.
This recipe makes two cocktails, but you can easily scale it up to serve four, six, eight, or the whole neighborhood! Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Ingredients
- 2 mangos
- 4 oz tequila blanco
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup agave nectar or simple syrup
- Salt for rimming the glass
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Cut the flesh from the mangos and puree it in a high-speed blender or food processor.
- If desired, cut a slice of lime and use it to moisten the rim of your glasses. Pour kosher salt onto a small plate and dip the moistened rim of the glasses into the salt. Allow to dry.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine 1/2 cup mango puree, tequila, lime juice and agave nectar or simple syrup.
- Add ice and shake well to combine.
- Strain into a highball glass or coupe filled with ice.
- Garnish with lime wheels.
Notes
To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat, while stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Simple syrup keeps well, so feel free to make a large batch and use it as needed.
