Combining the ease of lemonade concentrate with fresh strawberries, lime juice, and tequila for this Strawberry Lemonade Margarita makes for a delicious cocktail that is so easy to make; perfect for summer sipping!
As much as I love margaritas, there are days when I think I've pretty much run the gamut of variations. I recently posted 20 Favorite Margaritas and I have more I didn't include on that list of summer favorites. And then this Strawberry Lemonade Margarita happened!
I received a bottle of 1800 Silver Tequila and things changed. I actually had planned to make a tequila cocktail with lemon and cherry preserves but that bottle arrived at the same time as some plump spring strawberries and I veered in a different direction.
I wanted a pitcher filled with margaritas too; when I entertain, it's a porch full of people (hoping to resurrect that pattern this summer) and making a pitcher of the same cocktail is the way to go.
So...I sort of used my experience making my favorite margarita. The Best Fresh Margarita Cocktail is just that but it's time consuming to get that perfection. Lemons and Limes are juiced and added to the rest of the ingredients and then everything is steeped for several hours before being served.
BUT when I'm in a pinch, I substitute lemonade and limeade for the juices and sugar and have something done in minutes...I used that idea to make this cocktail. Frozen lemonade makes it easy but it's still tangy and delicious!
I also wanted a touch of lime in this Strawberry Lemonade Margarita but had no limeade so fresh squeezed lime juice was added. If you have both of them on hand, you could also use 6 oz of lemonade and 6 oz of limeade to get those citrus juices mixed together; although I liked that some fresh juice was included.
While I have often used 1800 Tequila Reposado for Margaritas, I was really pleased with this 1800 Silver Tequila made from 100% Weber blue agave that are aged for 8-12 years and harvested at their peak.
The liquid is double distilled, and a special selection of white tequilas is blended together for added complexity and character. The result is a premium tequila with a smoother, more interesting flavor than most on the market.
The clean, balanced taste with hints of sweet fruit and pepper is perfect sipped neat, on the rocks, as a shot or in a cocktail; my preference is clear! Next up after this Strawberry Lemonade Margarita, I'm trying a recipe on the 1800 Tequila website. With these ingredients; think I have to try this one next, don't you?
The Summerita
- 2 oz. 1800 Silver
- 1 oz. watermelon juice
- ½ oz. lime juice
- ¼ oz. agave syrup
- Pinch of cilantro
- Sparkling wine; champagne, prosecco, or cava
Even though I've used lemonade concentrate for this margarita, what I consider some important rules still apply. Yes, a decent tequila, nothing to break the bank, reserve a true sipping tequila for sipping but stay away from the cheapest non-aged stuff as well.
That's why I love the 1800 Tequila brand; they are good on their own and perfect in cocktails but won't cost you an arm and a leg.
Use real orange liqueur. Often labeled as Triple Sec, they are also too often simply orange flavored sugar water, make sure you get the real deal with true essence of orange. Again, nothing premium is required. Cointreau is a premium Triple Sec but a less expensive brand would work fine and Grand Marnier is a blend of cognac and triple sec.
I've tried several off brands and enjoyed them with the added bonus that they can be considerably less expensive than the two that are most well known. Ask an expert at your local liquor store for a suggestion; that's your best bet.
Last but not least, that rim. I always thought the salt a bit too much so here's a couple of things I've done. NEVER use table salt. While you can buy salts labeled as margarita salt, don't bother, simply use the larger grain kosher salt. And most important? Add some sugar? That's right!
And not just table sugar either. Of course you can but I also like to use a larger grain sugar, which is easy enough to find. It's called Sparkling Sugar and you can buy it online or Michaels carries an assortment of colors. I normally use the plain crystal but for special occasion have found gold to be pretty too.
All together and you've got the basis for a great margarita; for this one you simply need some strawberries and that lemonade...Cheers!
PIN IT! 'Strawberry Lemonade Margarita'
