Puckered Perfection: The Perfect Patron Margarita for any Palette

Puckered Perfection: The Perfect Patron Margarita for any Palette 

By Kelly Grace Thomas

Edible Skinny helped make some hard decisions on February 22, this year’s National Margarita Day. We were invited by Patron to help decide 2016's #PerfectMargarita.

With each sip we debated which of these creatively crafted drinks, that ranged from spicy to smoky and everything in between, would win this year palatable perfection.

The event held at the Smog Shoppe in Los Angeles celebrated National Margarita Day by showcasing eight guest mixologists and their hand-crafted inspiration. Each were assigned  a flavor that inspired a new take on a classic cocktail, with every ingredient and variation imaginable. From tropical to savory with some herbal in between, these margaritas puckered with personality and went way beyond the boundaries of rocks and salt.

While Edible Skinny could make your mouth water with savory adjectives and dizzying descriptions, we figured we’d let these margaritas speak for themselves:)

While Patron won’t crown the Margarita of the Year until April, we figure you could try these recipes at home and decide for yourself. From us to you, here at eight stellar margarita recipes that will have you wish they made holidays like these more often. Happy National Margirita Day. Hope life is delicious.

For more information about the contest and all seven recipes visit MargaritaOfTheYear.com where you can log in and cast a vote (once daily, through April 15th) for their favorite.

*Indicate an Edible Skinny favorite

*Drink Name: The Resting Garden Margarita

Margarita Style: Herbal

Bartender: Ryan Brown

Market: Tampa, Florida

Bar Name: Anise

1.75 oz Patrón Reposado

.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Mango

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Agave Syrup

6 Sage Leaves, (2 for garnish)

Pinch of Salt

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Holding a fine mesh strainer in one hand, “double strain” the drink by pouring the drink through it into an ice-filled old fashioned glass. Garnish with two sage leaves and a grilled mango slice.

Inspiration: I wanted to create a drink that stayed true to the classic margarita, yet still explored other flavor profiles. I experimented with a few different fresh herbs for this style, and landed on fresh sage because it has a warm, earthy flavor that complements the fresh agave notes in the Reposado nicely.

Margarita Style: Tropical

Drink Name: Stargarita

Bartender: Bettina Barnoczki

Market: Miami, Florida

Bar Name: Faena Hotel

Margarita Style: Tropical

Drink Name: Stargarita

1.5 oz Patrón Silver Infused with Mint Tea*

.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Mango

.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz Star Fruit Puree or Muddled Star Fruit

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain over fresh ice into a salt-rimmed Collins glass. Garnish with a slice of star fruit and a lime wheel.

* Patrón Silver Infused with Mint Tea:

Steep 4 mint tea bags per 12 oz of Patrón Silver for 30 minutes. Remove teabags.

Inspiration: For the tropical margarita I wanted to concoct a recipe that was really fresh and refreshing, ideal with the heat and climate of the tropics, and prepared with readily available ingredients. Living in a tropical climate, we are always looking for ways to cool off.  Mint is very cooling and the tartness and lightness of the starfruit with a little funkiness from the Mango Citronge made for a margarita one can sip on all day in the sunshine.  I also wanted it to be lighthearted and fun, and something that would stand out catch one's eye.

Margarita Style: Savory

Drink Name: Winter in Jalisco Margarita

Bartender: Laura Newman

Market: New York, New York

Bar Name: Cienfuegos/Mother of Pearl

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

.75 oz Patrón XO Cafe

.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

1 barspoon (.125 oz) Toasted Sesame Oil

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain over fresh ice into a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a slice of fresh kumquat.

Inspiration: I’m inspired every day by the culinary melting pot that is New York City, so I love when I can incorporate flavors from across the globe into my cocktails. For this savory margarita, I was inspired by the rich flavors in traditional Mexican mole sauce, and then I mixed it up a bit with the sesame oil for a bit of Asian fusion as well – because mixing flavors and cultures is what New York is all about!

Margarita Style: Modern

Drink Name: The Re-Margarita

Bartender: Rosie Ruiz

Market: Los Angeles, California

Bar Name: Cole’s

2 oz Patrón Silver

2 oz Carbonated Homemade Orange-Lime Cordial*

Method:

Pour Patrón Silver over cracked ice in a double old fashioned glass, and top off with an equal measure of the carbonated homemade orange-lime cordial. Gently stir ingredients to combine. Garnish with lime and orange wheels studded with a clove.

*Carbonated Homemade Orange-Lime Cordial:

Place the peels of 8 limes and 10 oranges in a bowl along with 4 cups sugar and muddle to release the essential oils. Cover and let sit for 1 hour. Meanwhile, juice the limes and oranges. After 1 hour, add citrus juices, 2.5 oz. Patrón Citrónge Lime and 4 whole cloves and stir to create a syrup. Refrigerate 8-12 hours, then strain and store in fridge. To carbonate, mix 18.5 ounces of the cordial liquid with 6 oz. water and charge using a soda siphon or whipped cream charger with two six-gram CO2 cartridges.

Inspiration: "We look to our past, to see the future" … The Future is all about convenience along with the resurgence of homemade products. This recipe is easy to use at home yet sophisticated enough to have at any craft cocktail bar. In this time of social media and easy accessibility, people want more than ever to connect on a human level. What better way than to “make” your own cocktail ingredients from scratch and serve them at your leisure to your guest or loved ones.

*Margarita Style: Spicy

Drink Name: Rosa Picante Margarita

Bartender: Jordan Corney

Market: San Antonio, Texas

Bar Name: Bohanan’s

2 oz Patrón Silver

.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz Simple Syrup

.5 oz Ginger Syrup

.5 barspoon Jalapeño Oil or a Fresh Jalapeño Slice

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe that has been half-rimmed with rose sea salt, and top with a dash of rose water. Garnish with a rose petal, if available.

*Margarita Style: Smoky

Drink Name: Smoked Mangonada Margarita

Bartender: Stephen Halpin

Market: Dallas, Texas

Bar Name: Parliament

2 oz Patrón Reposado

.75 oz Smoked Patrón Citrónge Mango*

.75 oz Mango Puree*

.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain over fresh ice into into an ice-filled double old fashioned glass that has been rimmed with Tajin (a chili lime salt). Garnish with a slice of fresh mango.

*Smoked Patrón Citrónge Mango:

Pour 6 oz of Patrón Citrónge Mango into a large empty bottle. Using a smoking gun, fill the bottle with smoke and swirl to combine for 20 seconds. It is now ready to be used as needed.

*Mango Puree:

Peel and pit one ripe mango and cut into pieces. In a food processor, purée mango with 1.5 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice until smooth.

Margarita Style: Classic

Drink Name: Hacienda Margarita

Bartender: Andrés Moran

Market: Guadalajara, Mexico

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange

.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice

.25 oz Agave Nectar

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain over fresh ice into a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.