Trying to make the best frozen margarita ever

[swinchen]

Ok, I am not much of a drinker but recently I took a trip to Colorado to visit my sister and have decided I like frozen margaritas. I have been trying to recreate an excellent resturant quality margarita since. Here is what I have so far:

(single serving)

1.5 Ounces Tequila (Sauza Gold)
1 Ounce Triple Sec (Bols)
2 Ounces Sweet n' Sour Mix (recipe follows)
2 Ounces Lime Juice
1 - 1.5 Cups Ice Cubes

BLEND!!!!!!

Sweet n' Sour Mix
3 parts sugar
2 parts water
1 part lime juice

Now I am having a couple of problems with this.
1) It leaves sort of a funny taste in my mouth. The ones I have had in resturant are very limey, sweet and delicious. These aren't quite as good. Maybe it is the choice of tequila?
2) They don't seem to be very frozen. The ice seems to melt before serving or maybe there is too much liquid?

Any suggestions (just please please don't say use limeade... that seems too much like cheating!)

Sam.

 

[eric]

Now I am having a couple of problems with this.
1) It leaves sort of a funny taste in my mouth.

What is that "funny" taste? Is it bitter tasting?

The ones I have had in resturant are very limey, sweet and delicious. These aren't quite as good. Maybe it is the choice of tequila?

When working with very few ingredients, the quality of each ingredient becomes more apparent. Was the lime juice fresh? It might be cost prohibitive in your area to buy a whole lotta limes.

2) They don't seem to be very frozen. The ice seems to melt before serving or maybe there is too much liquid?

hot foods in hot plates, cold food in cold plates. Did you put the glasses and blender top in the freezer?

Any suggestions (just please please don't say use limeade... that seems too much like cheating!)

Use simple syrup instead of the 3parts H20 and 2 parts sugar. You won't have to blend it a lot more to dissolve and you can increase/decrease the sweetness a little better using syrup. In other words, mix "like" items with "like" items so since this is a drink, try having mostly liquid instead of introducing a solid like sugar crystals into the mix.
HTH!

 

[swinchen]

What is that "funny" taste? Is it bitter tasting?

I don't know. It is a very hard flavor ro describe. All I could think of is that maybe the tequila I got was cheap. It had sort of a ... musty taste?

When working with very few ingredients, the quality of each ingredient becomes more apparent. Was the lime juice fresh? It might be cost prohibitive in your area to buy a whole lotta limes.

This may be the problem I used "Real Lime" that lime juice that comes in the green glass bottle. Limes aren't too bad (4 for a dollar). I should give them a shot.

hot foods in hot plates, cold food in cold plates. Did you put the glasses and blender top in the freezer?

Yeah I was thinking of that. Should I just put the glass part in the frezzer (unscrew the base and blade)? I dont want to wreck the rubber gasket.

Use simple syrup instead of the 3parts H20 and 2 parts sugar. You won't have to blend it a lot more to dissolve and you can increase/decrease the sweetness a little better using syrup. In other words, mix "like" items with "like" items so since this is a drink, try having mostly liquid instead of introducing a solid like sugar crystals into the mix.
HTH!

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that I brought the whole Sweet n' Sour mix to a boil... so in a sense it was a flavored simple syurp. (what is the recipe for a regular simple syurp? 1 part sugar, 1 part water?)

But overall you think the proportions look correct? Nothing seems too out of place?


Thanks!

p.s. What is HTH?

Sam

 

[eric]

It had sort of a ... musty taste?

Too weird. I don't know. Cuervo is usually pretty good stuff.

Yeah I was thinking of that. Should I just put the glass part in the frezzer (unscrew the base and blade)? I dont

Yep, good idea not to put the gasket in there. I would have been to lazy to keep it out.

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that I brought the whole Sweet n' Sour mix to a boil... so in a sense it was a

Hmmm, why did you bring it to a boil? Just wondering what that would do

simple syurp? 1 part sugar, 1 part water?)

Well, it depends. If you are making candy and stuff like that, it would be more precise. But you just need (in this instance) sugar water. 2 to 3 parts sugar to 1 part H2O should be fine. 1:1 is good too. Depends how sweet you want it. Its all about tasting it. The sugar I buy might be more sweet or vice versa that you get. So make, taste, adjust. Adding more sugar raises the boiling point so be careful with cooking sugars. The worse burns I've seen has been with sugars.

But overall you think the proportions look correct? Nothing seems too out of place?

Proportions look fine, its really up to you to add/adjust it to your tastes (or you guest's tastes). Always taste and adjust before serving anything to your guests--golden rule.

p.s. What is HTH?

Hope This Helps

 

[swinchen]

Too weird. I don't know. Cuervo is usually pretty good stuff.

Is that the same as Sauza Gold? It doesn't say Jose Cuervo on the bottle or anything.

Hmmm, why did you bring it to a boil? Just wondering what that would do

Dissolve the sugars? I don't know... the recipe I found said to do that. It came out to a nice smooth syrup.

Well, it depends. If you are making candy and stuff like that, it would be more precise. But you just need (in this instance) sugar water. 2 to 3 parts sugar to 1 part H2O should be fine. 1:1 is good too. Depends how sweet you want it. Its all about tasting it. The sugar I buy might be more sweet or vice versa that you get. So make, taste, adjust. Adding more sugar raises the boiling point so be careful with cooking sugars. The worse burns I've seen has been with sugars.

Ok, I will keep that in mind. I will be really careful with it.

hmmm, maybe I will try the simple syrup first... then try moving to sweet and sour.

Proportions look fine, its really up to you to add/adjust it to your tastes (or you guest's tastes). Always taste and adjust before serving anything to your guests--golden rule.

Hope This Helps

Alright! Thanks again for your help. I need to get some guests over to serve them too! So far it just been me, my girlfriend and her friend. (they like the strawberry kind)

Sam

 

[swinchen]

What is that "funny" taste? Is it bitter tasting?

I mixed up a batch last night and I would say that bitter is actually a pretty good description. The margs from the local resturant don't taste bitter at all.

The batch I mixed up last night had fresh lime juice, same result.

 

[eric]

The batch I mixed up last night had fresh lime juice, same result.

Try removing the sweet and sour thing. Margaritas should only have tequilla, limes, triple-sec as a basic ratio. Everything else is for fancy stuff (grand marnier, strawberries, pinapples, whatevur) I think the ratio I used to have was like 2 parts tequila to 1 part lime juice. Start with that ratio and gradually add your sugar syrup to it and see how much of it you need.

I just looked at the origina post and you are using Suaza? Is that it? Did you taste that before blending everything and does it tast bitter?

Make sure you taste all the ingredients (this goes for everything) before putting stuff together.

 

[ronjohn55]

I learned to make margaritas on a basic 1:1:1 recipe

1 part tequilla
1 part triple sec
1 part lime juice

They were good, but also bad, very, VERY bad..

I agree with eliminating the sweet and sour mix. Start plain and then build in from there. I wouldn't think the Sauza would be causing a bitterness problem, but I can't say for sure as I haven't had it in a while. I usually use Jose Cuervo for margaritas, but for shooters we move up the ladder into the better tequilas. I have a bottle of the Sammy Hagar Cabo Wabo that a friend gave me right now - not too bad.

John

 

[eric]

I learned to make margaritas on a basic 1:1:1 recipe

1 part tequilla
1 part triple sec
1 part lime juice

That is good! But bad tequilla, and it is 1:1 with lime, you'll have bad margharita

Jose Cuervo for margaritas, but for shooters we move up

Totally agree. Use good stuff for shots. But I'm trying to remember, down here in Socal, I think the Souza stuff is pretty bad. I think I've had it before. Good Tequilla=good margarita.

 

[swinchen]

Yeah, I don't think I want mine that strong. Bascially I just like sweetness and the lime flavor.