ORANGE PINEAPPLE MARGARITAS...

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! As I mentioned yesterday, I heart Mexican food, so I thought I would celebrate this day with a little cocktail  - a margarita naturally. My mom would say that I'm picky about most things and I agree with her when it comes to margaritas. I prefer them on the rocks as opposed to frozen. I like for them to be made with real ingredients - no artificial sweeteners, "mixes" or anything like that allowed. There are few ingredients in margaritas, so I like to use the best quality alcohol that I can afford. I don't like the rim of the glass full of too much salt. I just like it to be simple - and good! And this margarita is just that...

I started with a plain margarita recipe, tweaked it a bit, and brought in some sweetness by using the juice of pineapples and oranges that I whipped up in my blender. I strained out the pulp and simply added the juice to the plain margarita until I got my desired level of taste and sweetness. It's totally worth making your own juice here as opposed to using the store bought stuff! The drink is just fresh with just the right amount of sweetness and tartness. Therein lies the beauty of a margarita. It can be really good plain and really good when fresh, sweet, ingredients are added to it. I sipped on this last Sunday with a side of my homemade salsa and chips and it made for the perfect afternoon. Have fun and be safe if you are out celebrating! 

Here is what you need and what to do (makes 2 drinks):

Orange-Pineapple Juice
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 orange, peeled & cut into chunks

Margarita
2 oz tequila (100% agave)
2 oz Cointreau
Juice of 1 lime
3 oz orange-pineapple juice
Salt for the glasses, optional

1. Add the pineapple and orange chunks to a blender. Blend and then pour it into a fine mesh strainer that is set over a bowl. Let it strain for a few minutes...

2. Add ice to a shaker along with the remaining ingredients. Shake until the shaker is frosted on the outside - about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust for more alcohol or juice if necessary.

3. If using salt, run a lime on the outside of the margarita glasses. Dip the rims of the glasses into some salt. Add ice to the glasses. Strain the margarita into the glasses and enjoy!!

Images by me