Skip those overly sweet bottled margarita mixes and make your own margaritas from scratch.  These refreshing, Sparkling Cara Cara Margaritas, with freshly squeezed citrus, tequila blanco, Cointreau and a splash of sparkling water, delivers bright flavor without the cloying, syrupy nature of the processed stuff. 

 

Three things about {Sparkling Cara Cara} Margaritas:

1. Cinco De Mayo is approaching… fast.
2. Memorial Day and SUMMER are also on their way.
3. Margaritas are the unofficial libation of scorching hot weather and the swelter factor goes up by a factor of 10 if you happen to live in the tropics.

Therefore, it is imperative that you have a few recipes and riffs on how to make your own margaritas from scratch and serve as the signature cocktail for every barbecue, picnic, beach and poolside gathering for the next 3-4 months (only a slight exaggeration). Sparkling Cara Cara Margaritas are one of my favorites.

 

 

We’ve all had those margarita mixes before… syrupy, vaguely citrus-like — just add ice and tequila. Ok, so you add a lot of tequila — to detract from the sugary bomb of cocktail mix that shares the space with the liquor and ice in your glass.  Wouldn’t you rather have a margarita made from fresh juices?  For this refreshing cocktail I start with fresh limes and Cara Cara oranges.

What Are Cara Cara Oranges?

Cara Cara, also known as red navels, are a seedless navel orange with a reddish-pink flesh and a sweet yet tangy ambrosia-like flavor. A cross between the Brazilian Bahia and Washington Navel Orange, they are a mid-season varietal and often come from California… Unless you live in Florida — where they are harvested in Indian River County… Florida citrus ROCKS!

 

Cara Cara oranges are wonderful for juicing or eating straight out of hand. For this twist on a classic margarita, I use both Cara Cara juice and lime juice to balance the sweet and sour flavors, instead of using a ton of simple syrup or agave.

 Making Margaritas From Scratch

1. After juicing the fruit, check to see if there’s an abundance of pulp.  If there is, run it through a fine mesh strainer. Personally, I like the pulp, but to each his own.
2. Run a wedge of lime around the rim of the glasses. Lightly dip the rim of the glasses into margarita salt until the salt adheres. Fill the glasses with crushed ice. (I prefer crushed ice because it keeps the drink really cold – and where margaritas are concerned, I tend to drink them like Kool-Aid – so I have no worries about the marg getting watered down too quickly, but if you’re a sipper – stick with whole ice cubes.
3. Pour the fresh juice into a cocktail shaker, along with tequila, Cointreau and a bit of simple syrup.
4. Add ice cubes, secure the lid and shake until well blended and very cold. Strain into the prepared glasses. Top with a splash of sparkling water.  This may seem controversial.  Why would you want to add water to your margarita?  Two reasons: It adds a little fizz to the drink and — again — avoids the overly sweet nature of traditional margaritas.  If you’re sweltering in the hot sun, cutting the sweet will actually make the cocktail more refreshing.
5. Garnish with a wedge of orange or lime or BOTH.
6. Enjoy your Sparkling Cara Cara Margaritas under a shade umbrella, in your bathing suit and preferably with your toes in the sand.

 

 

I have two types of cocktail shakers. One is a traditional Boston Shaker and the other is a Cobbler Shaker that has a built in strainer. It’s really personal preference as to which one you use — both do an admirable job, but I’ve found that the Boston shaker can be a little tough to break the seal on after you’ve shaken the drink (as in, you have to bang it good a few times to break the suction) — maybe it’s just my weak arms. With the Cobbler shaker, you just remove the top and strain it into your glass.  Therefore when I’m making a drink myself, I go for the Cobbler, but when Scott is mixing — he uses the Boston shaker — I think it’s a GUY thing.

 

For the sparkling water, you can use seltzer, club soda or even a bit of La Croix.

 

Italian prosecco, Spanish cava and sparkling wine work too — but I have to be honest, if there’s a bottle of chilled sparkling wine around, I might just take out my flute glasses and settle on that for the afternoon.  🙂




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