This top shelf margarita recipe is the Cadillac of margaritas. It is big on flavor and is loaded with high quality ingredients. If you're tired of weak watery and just plain average margaritas, you came to the right place. We use top shelf ingredients like grand marnier, patron anejo tequila, lime juice, and agave!
Okay so we went through all the search results that claimed to have the best flavored margarita recipe and were continuously disappointed with the weak watery flavor. Our top shelf margarita is loaded with flavor, so if you're looking for tang this margarita recipe is for you.
We tried margaritas with silver tequila for our first 10 or so attempts, changing the amounts of lime juice, agave, and brands of orange liquor.. but something wasn't right.
Finally we were out on our date night at one of our favorite restaurants and tried their delicious margarita and noticed they used gold tequila, also called anejo tequila. So we bought a bottle and it was a game changer for us! So if you like a top shelf drink too, this is for you!
WHAT IS THE BEST MARGARITA MADE OF?
My delicious authentic top shelf margarita recipe is made with just 4 ingredients:
- Anejo tequila
- Grand marnier
- Fresh lime juice
- Agave nectar
And of course you'll have to pull it all together with a salted rim glass!
HOW DO YOU MAKE MARGARITAS TASTE BETTER?
ALWAYS USE HIGH QUALITY INGREDIENTS. This means the best tequila and orange liquor you can afford.
USE FRESH LIME JUICE. Bottled lime juice will never taste as good as fresh.
USE A DRINK SHAKER. Shaking your margarita over ice and then straining it will give you a signature smooth and slightly frothed top.
NEVER EVEN LOOK AT A MARGARITA MIX. Those $5 bottles of "margarita mix" not only are loaded with chemicals, but they taste terrible.
SALT THE RIM! Salt balances tequila and is the finishing touch on a perfect margarita.
What have you tried to make your margarita taste better? Leave me a comment below!
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO A GOOD MARGARITA?
I read so many posts with 100's of 5 star ratings. So I thought okay these people really have the perfect margarita recipe down! But we found most of the margaritas out there lacked flavor and tanginess. We wanted a lot of flavor with the perfect balance of sour and sweet.
Here are my tips for the most delicious margarita that tastes just like the one's I drank travelling!
- Always use high quality ingredients
- Never use triple sec
- NEVER NEVER use a margarita mix
- Always use FRESH lime juice, not bottled
- Don't forget to salt the rim!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST MARGARITA ON THE ROCKS!
For this recipe, you will need 2 margarita glasses or cocktail glasses, a shot glass, a lime/ lemon juicer, and a drink shaker.
STEP 1: PREPARE SERVING GLASSES
First, use ½ of one of your limes and run it along the edges of the glasses. Dip the glass in sea salt. Fill the glass to the top with ice.
Another delicious way to salt the rim is to get a little bit of agave nectar on your finger and run it along the rim of the glass and then dip that into the salt. The agave actually helps your salt stay on the rim for much longer!
STEP 2: ADD INGREDIENTS TO DRINK SHAKER
Fill your drink shaker about ¼ way with ice cubes. Add 1 ½ shots patron anejo tequila, ½ shot grand marnier, the juice of 4 limes, and 1 shot of agave nectar.
Cover and shake until the outside of the drink shaker is cold and frosted.
STEP 3: STRAIN AND ENJOY!
Strain the margarita over ice into your prepared drink glasses.
Hope you enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE A DELICIOUS MARGARITA FOR A CROWD
Want to impress your guests and have them asking for your recipe! My pitcher serves 10 people with 2 drinks each (so 20 drinks)
- 15 shots tequila (22.5 ounces)
- 5 shots grand marnier (7.5 ounces)
- 40 limes, juiced (40 ounces of lime juice)
- 10 shots of agave nectar (15 ounces)
Add all ingredients to a pitcher and stir to combine. As you refill glasses, pour from the pitcher into a cocktail shaker filled with ice to get a really nice cold drink!
FAQ's
Frequently asked questions on how to make a really good margarita.
WHAT TYPE OF TEQUILA IS BEST IN A MARGARITA?
I'm big on buying high quality ingredients. I would rather buy an expensive bottle of tequila and drink 1 delicious margarita once a week, than buy a cheap bottle and drink a cheap margarita every day.
When it came to silver versus gold tequila, the gold tequila definitely tasted super authentic. And it gave that perfect golden color you see in authentic margaritas in Mexico and South America.
WHAT TYPE OF ORANGE LIQUOR SHOULD I USE FOR A GOOD MARGARITA?
We tried cointreau and grand marnier in our margarita experiments and found that grand marnier definitely added a smooth flavor. The cointreau tasted a little bit harsh to us so we're saving that bottle for martinis.
We did try fresh squeezed orange juice in one and it was pretty delicious, but not very strong as the orange juice watered down the alcohol a bit. But, if you do like your margarita a little less strong, squeeze a fresh orange juice along with my other ingredients.
Finally, never use triple sec or a "margarita mix" these are very low quality ingredients and not only will give you a headache the next day, but your margarita will taste cheap and watery!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CADILLAC MARGARITA AND A REGULAR?
Okay so I just learned that a cadillac margarita is made using only the best ingredients like grand marnier, patron, and fresh lime juice. So whether you call it the best classic, or a cadillac this is what I've made here! 🙂
WHAT IS THE MIX RATIO FOR A MARGARITA?
So whether you are making a big pitcher of margarita's for a party, or just want a single serving, this is the ratio for 1 serving. Multiply it by how many servings you want.
- ¾ shot of Patron Anejo
- ¼ shot of Grand Marnier
- Juice of 2 limes
- ½ shot of Agave nectar
I use a standard American shot glass, that is 1.5 ounces.
Are you looking for a margarita mocktail instead? Try these favorite flavors!
If you try The Best Margarita Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
The Best Top Shelf Margarita You'll Ever Make!
Equipment
- Drink shaker
- 2 margarita glasses
Ingredients
Margaritas for two:
- 1 ½ shot Patron Anejo (golden tequila) 2.25 ounces
- ½ shot Grand Marnier (orange liquor) 0.75 ounces
- 4 Fresh limes, juiced ~4 ounces
- 1 shot agave nectar 1.5 ounces
- Salt for the rim
- Ice for serving
Margaritas for 10 people (2 drinks each):
- 15 shots Patron Anejo 22.5 ounces
- 5 shots Grand Marnier 7.5 ounces
- 40 Fresh limes, juiced 40 ounces
- 10 shots Agave nectar 15 ounces
Instructions
How to make for two:
- Salt the rim of 2 glasses by running either a lime slice or agave nectar around the rim of the glass. Dip in salt. Fill each glass to the top with ice. Set aside.
- Fill a cocktail shaker ¼ way up with ice cubes. Add 1 ½ shots gold tequila, ½ shot orange liquor, juice of 4 limes, and 1 shot of agave nectar.
- Shake until the cocktail shaker is frosty on the outside.
- Strain into your prepared glasses, enjoy!
How to make for a party:
- Add all ingredients to a pitcher and stir to combine. As you refill glasses, pour from the pitcher into a cocktail shaker filled with ice to get a really nice cold drink!
Anne
This really was the best margarita I ever tasted!! It was sweet, sour a little bit and a slight kick from the alcohol just perfect!
Jane
Oh my gosh I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you sooo much for all those great trips and explaining everything
Anonymous
Just a drop of jalapeño simple syrup.
No agave
Rosemary
That sounds good, I'll try that next!
James
All ideas and recipes seem wonderful. Thank you!
Rosemary
Enjoy!!
Nadia
Thank you so much for this. I will try out right away. The question is, is that Himalayan salt in the video?
Rosemary
I can't wait to hear what you think! Yes, I used pink Himalayan salt on mine <3
Anonymous
TOO SOUR. I actually used the exact same ingredients and amounts called for but made this into a frozen margarita. So, with the addition of at least 3 cups of ice, the recipe was still too sour.
To remedy the acidity and sourness, I added extra Agave Nectar, in which, one could also add simple syrup or honey as well.
This is just a pretentious margarita as Patron, Grand Marnier, and Organic Agave Nectar are not cost effective. You could still have a nice tasting drink with Triple Sec, Cuervo, and Simple Syrup.
sam
This is the best margarita I ever had!! I used exact ingredients shook it over ice and every one of my friends was sooo impressed! Thank you!!!!
Rose
Love love love this drink!!! Far more flavor and quality! I had margaritas at fancy restaurants and none compare to the amount of flavor your margarita had!!
Jim
There is so much lime juice in this recipe I really do not think it would matter to me what else was used. I have never seen a sour where the juice volume was more than the base spirit. But I like stiff drinks and want to taste the liquor. I do like top shelf margaritas with reposado and some agave nectar. I prefer Cointreau but will float a small amount Grand Mariner at end. Obviously many people like this limearita but for me it is way to tart. Also it is probably healthier than my boozy concoctions.