Who doesn't love a margarita? Just about every Mexican restaurant has a house specialty margarita. Heck, even non-Mexican restaurants have some sort of special margarita on the menu.
So refreshing, so unique and so smooth.
A simple way to heighten the cocktail to another one of your senses is to fire up a lighter or small butane torch (very carefully of course) and quickly light the rosemary garnish on fire. Just let it burn for a few seconds. Just a little flame to it will ignite the aromatics and add a whole new sense to it through your nose.
Scale it up for a party
This margarita is great scaled up, pre-mixed and poured out of a pitcher at a party. Put a few sprigs of rosemary and orange slices into the pitcher for garnish and let guests serve themselves.
If you love the smoke from the rosemary, definitely check out this Hot & Smoky Mezcal Margarita.
Special Bar Equipment Used
- Blood Orange Concentrate from Perfect Purée of Napa Valley
- Cocktail Shaker
- Cocktail Strainer
- All-Clad 1-Quart Saucepan for making the rosemary-blood orange syrup
Ingredients
- 2 oz blood orange-rosemary syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 1 ½ oz tequila
- ¾ oz Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
- agave syrup (if needed for extra sweetness)
- orange slice and rosemary sprig for garnish
- coarse salt and sugar to rim the glass
For the blood orange-rosemary syrup
- ¼ cup Blood Orange Perfect Puree concentrate
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 4 rosemary sprigs
Instructions
To make the blood orange-rosemary syrup
- Combine the blood orange concentrate and water in a small saucepan (2 to 1 ratio). Add ½ cup sugar, a small pinch of salt, the rosemary sprigs and bring to 180 degrees on the stove (no higher). Chill completely before using in the margarita.
To make the blood orange-rosemary margarita
- Combine blood orange-rosemary syrup, lime juice, tequila and Grand Marnier with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled and strain into a salt+sugar rimmed ice-filled glass.
- Garnish with a rosemary spring and an orange wheel. Cheers!
Notes
- Recipe blood orange syrup recipe makes ½ cup. - The syrup can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 6 months.
- If it is blood orange season; you can make a syrup with freshly squeezed blood orange juice. Keep in mind that the ratio of juice to sugar will be different because it isn't a concentrate.
- If the margarita is too tart for your taste; you can add a little agave syrup to the mix.
Jason says
Great recipe! We are margarita purists having (stolen) used the recipe from Puerto Alegre in SF for some time... this is a nice modification for a little change-it-up. Charring rosemary is genius. Thanks for another great recipe!!