One thing that I will always appreciate about life is the craftsmanship behind art.
Happening now – Patrón Tequila is embarking on its “Search for 2018’s Margarita of the Year.” This time around they have seven brand new recipes from across the world. True to Patrón, each of the cocktails is a refreshing twist on the classic Margarita.
The “Search” began on February 22nd on MargaritaOfTheYear.com and you as fans can vote everyday for your favorite recipe. The cocktail that receives the most votes will be celebrated on Cinco de Mayo!
I spent the afternoon gathering some ingredients to create MY favorite, the La Margarita. This recipe was created by Jorge Ortega who lives in LA. The bright flavors of refreshing Lychee and Ginger blend together with zesty lime and the smooth taste of Patrón Reposado create a sensory experience you will love.
To be honest, it was a little hard to find Lychee – a Chinese fruit where the balance of sweet and tart is perfected. Its light, floral taste is between a pear and watermelon. Is your mouth watering yet? My local market did not have the canned fruit, so I took a little trip to Korea town! That was an experience I can’t wait to visit again. 😉 They Korean market had plenty of Lychee. Success! Also on my list were chia seeds (for the rim of the glass) so I picked up a bag of those as well.
For the La Margarita, you will need:
1.5 oz Patrón Reposado
.75 oz Patrón Citronge Orange
1 oz Lime Juice
.5 oz Lychee Syrup (juice
.5 oz Ginger Syrup (such as Monin or Ginger Reál)
Whole lychee for garnish
Sprinkle of chia seeds and salt for rim
Shake it up:
- Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill.
- Strain onto fresh ice in a glass rimmed with a 50/50 blend of chia seeds and kosher salt.
- Garnish with lychee.
To make the Lychee syrup, Empty the complete contents of a can of peeled/pitted lychees into a blender. Blend until completely liquefied, then strain through a mesh strainer to remove solids.
Voilà!
Try it out and at home and let me know what you guys think! If you love Jorge Ortega’s recipe as much as I do, go vote!
Cheers!
