National Margarita Day: Smashed Strawberry Margarita Recipe
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Have you been wanting to make a homemade margarita but are looking for something without the added sugar and calories? If you’re like us, we hate that overly sweet, sticky strawberry mix syrup that most drink recipes (and yes, restaurants!) use.
Instead, this strawberry margarita recipe uses simple, fresh ingredients to not only give you a delicious margarita on the rocks, (or frozen!) but an easy-to-make—and dare we say, foolproof—cocktail. If you’re looking for the best cocktail for a summer outdoor party or just an at-home happy hour with friends, this smashed strawberry margarita recipe is going to be your new go-to cocktail!
Why Is It Called a Smashed Strawberry Margarita?
In lieu of the processed, store-bought strawberry syrup, we’re using fresh summer strawberries to give this drink a naturally sweet taste. There is no better way to extract the juices for your homemade margarita than using a muddler to, well, smash the strawberries into a puree.
What Do I Need To Make a Strawberry Margarita?
Just as important as the recipe itself, are the ingredients!
Orange Liqueur
Fresh Strawberries
Limes
Salt or Sugar
Silver Tequila
For this recipe, we are using silver tequila, also known as blanco. While you can use reposado (an aged tequila) if you prefer, we love silver tequila for the sweetness from the blue agave. Silver tequila is unaged, meaning that it is bottled almost as soon as it is distilled. This tequila is often selected as it is the closest to the natural agave flavor.
However, when you are deciding on which tequila to use, it’s most important to look for quality. When it comes to tequila, there are two kinds: 100% agave and mixto (mixed).
100% Agave Tequila
100% agave tequila only has the sugar from the blue agave plant, which means that is more pure than other tequilas. Many brands, such as Espolon, Don Julio or Patron, offer 100% agave options.
Mixto (mixed)
A mixto tequila is required to have a minimum of 51% pure agave. However, when a tequila is labeled mixto, it can contain a mixture of agave and other sugars, such as glucose or fructose. Many mixto tequilas will also have colorings, sweeteners or additives. While these are often referred to as inferior tequilas, they do come at a cheaper price point than 100% pure agave tequilas.
Orange Liqueur
To give margaritas the best citrus taste, we always recommend an orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier.
What is Cointreau?
Often considered the first orange liqueur, and the most popular, Cointreau has a smooth flavor, made from orange peels, with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40 percent.
What is Grand Marnier?
Grand Marnier, in comparison, is made from a combination of orange oil, sugar and cognac. With a hint of vanilla, Grand Marnier has a more complex taste and can add an additional layer to your craft cocktail.
These orange liqueurs not only upgrade your homemade margarita recipe, but they act as triple sec substitutes, which should be avoided at all costs.
Why Should I Not Use Triple Sec?
While both Grand Marnier and Cointreau are triple secs, the triple sec varieties that you find on the bottom shelf of liquor stores are lacking in quality. These cheaper versions are often just labeled “triple sec” and are filled with added sugar and additives. All that added sugar can be the quickest way to a nasty hangover.
Fresh Strawberries. This goes without saying, fresh strawberries make this drink sweet and sippable.
Fresh Lime Juice. Avoid that plastic lime bottle. Use fresh lime juice for a sweet and tangy (and not artificial) citrus taste. To get the most out of each lime, use a citrus press so that you don’t make a mess or leave juice behind!
Agave Nectar. Use agave nectar, honey, or simple syrup as your sweetener in this recipe. Since you are already using fresh strawberries for sweetness, a little bit will go a long way.
Sugar or Salt Rim. These ingredients are optional, of course, but if you want to add a garnish, use margarita salt or sugar on half the rim.
How to Make a Strawberry Margarita
Slice the strawberries. On a cutting board, slice strawberries into thin slices. Slice lime in half.
Add your juices. In a small bowl, combine strawberries, agave nectar, and the juice of 1/2 lime.
Smash it up. Using a muddler, mash the mixture until the strawberry slices have broken down into small chunks and juice. This is what we are using to avoid that strawberry margarita mix.
Shake, shake, shake. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add tequila, orange liqueur and strawberry mixture. Shake well. (The more that you shake the mixture, the more crushed ice you will have in your cocktail.)
Add more lime. Add remaining 1/2 lime juice. Shake well.
Time to drink. Strain into a cocktail glass. Add ice if desired.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Absolutely! Simply allow the berries to thaw so that you can properly smash them into the puree that you are going to use for your margarita on the rocks. Note: You may find that frozen berries are not as sweet as fresh, but you can modify by adjusting the amount of agave nectar in the recipe.
Can I Use Simple Syrup or Honey Instead of Agave Nectar?
Yes! The beauty of creating your own cocktail recipes is that you can adjust the ingredients as necessary. If you prefer to use simple syrup or honey as a sweeter instead of agave nectar, feel free to do so. While we could substitute honey in a 1:1 ratio, you may want to increase the amount of simple syrup to give your strawberry margarita the desired sweetness.
When deciding which sweetener to use, we find that agave nectar makes our favorite margaritas. Using agave nectar creates a richer, more flavorful cocktail recipe than simple syrup. However, simple syrup can be crafted with turbinado sugar or infused with herbs—such as basil or mint—or even with such ingredients as fresh jalapeños to upgrade your margarita into a delicious craft cocktail.
Margarita Variations
Frozen Strawberry Margarita. No need for a fancy margarita blender! All you need to make a frozen margarita is to add the above ingredients and a large scoop of ice into a standard blender. Tip: Afraid of your frozen margarita being watered down? Use frozen strawberries in lieu of fresh berries and leave out the ice. The frozen berries will blend up and give you a delicious frozen strawberry margarita.
Use Different Berries. Tired of just the usual strawberry drinks? Try substituting strawberries for a different variety: raspberries, blackberries, or even blueberries! When in season, peaches or mangos can give your margarita a sweet and tropical twist.
Add in Herbs. Want to take that margarita on the rocks up a notch? Add fresh mint, basil, or even rosemary to your bowl as you muddle to release the fragrant oils. Adding basil to our cocktails might just be one of favorite “secret” ingredients.
Make it Spicy. Who says that your margarita has to be only sweet? Make it spicy by adding fresh sliced jalapeños or its juices to give it a spicy twist! Tip: If you are afraid of your margarita being too spicy, slice fresh jalapeños and add them to the shaker instead of the bowl. This way you only get an essence of jalapeño from the shaken cocktail, without the full spiciness of each slice.