Thursday is annually observed as National Margarita Day, which means it's almost time to cheers to one of the world's most popular cocktails.
We all have a hard time turning down a good marg, right? But where do we go with our celebratory sipper when seemingly every kind of take on the classic has been done? Well, we can start with something fresh. Strawberries are in season, lucky for us, and the beloved winter fruit is sure to put any commercially made strawberry margarita mix to shame.
To take this week's cocktail to the next level, we're also incorporating lychees (those small, fleshy orbs we once turned into Halloween "eyeball" garnishes) — the perfect complement to tequila and strawberries. In the recipe below, the fruit mostly serves as a flavor enhancer and a sweetener.
You need one can of lychee in syrup, usually stocked at any decent Asian market. The ingredient could be used for our Strawberry-Lychee Margarita in a couple of ways: 1) Reserve the syrup for the 'rita and snack on the fruit later. Or 2) Make your own syrup by boiling equal parts water and sugar — plus a cup or so of lychees — in a small saucepan, then turning down the heat and simmering the mixture until the fruit is tender.
I took the easier route, but you do you. Either way, you're ringing in the drink holiday that deserves to be a paid day off — or, well, at least the day after does.
Strawberry-Lychee Margarita
Makes 1
2 fresh strawberries, sliced
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
1/2 ounce triple sec
2-3 tablespoons lychee syrup
Add strawberries and lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Muddle until fully broken down. Add remaining ingredients and top with ice. Shake until well-chilled. (Optional: Rub the rim of your favorite rocks glass with a slice of lime, then dip glass into a shallow dish of coarse salt.) Strain cocktail into your favorite rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel, strawberry or lychee — or all three, because, damn it, we're going all out.
Connect with CL columnist Chris Fasick on Twitter, or email him at cdfasick@gmail.com if there's a local cocktail or a recipe you'd like featured.
This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 1, 2018.
