
While this cocktail is delicious made with everyday lemons, when the strikingly aromatic Meyer lemons become available in early winter, it’s worth celebrating their deliciousness with a margarita. Until the last decade of the twentieth century, Meyer lemons were mostly ignored and thought to lack viability as a commercial crop—until food luminaries like Alice Waters and Martha Stewart began championing them. They are thought to be a cross between a lemon and an orange. You’ll find that it pays off enormously to use the Meyer lemon in three ways in this drink: infused into tequila, made into simple syrup and squeezed into fresh juice.
Meyer Lemon Margarita Recipe Ingredients
- 10 Meyer Lemons total
- 1 750ml bottle 100% blue agave blanco tequila
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup triple sec
- Ice cubes
- Lemon twists – optional
Meyer Lemon Margarita Recipe Preparation
Plan to prepare the Meyer Lemon Tequila and Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup at least 4 days beforehand.
Meyer Lemon Tequila
- Using a vegetable peeler or knife, remove the colored zest from 8 of the Meyer Lemons in as big of strips as you can. Set the lemons for juicing later.
- Place the zest in a glass jar. Add the tequila and cover.
- Allow to stand for 4 days, tipping the jar back and forth several times each day.
- After 4 days strain out the zest.
- Store the tequila in a tightly-covered glass container for up to two months.
Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup
- Remove the zest from 2 more Meyer lemons, like you did for the first 8.
- Place the zest into a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water.
- Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking until the mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Cool, then strain into a glass jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate. It will keep for several weeks.
Meyer Lemon Margarita Recipe – Directions
Now that the prep work is all done it’s time to make some Margaritas!
- Squeeze as many “naked” Meyer lemons as you need to get 1 cup of fresh juice. (Start with about 5-6, depending on their size.)
- In a pitcher, combine the 1 cup of juice with 1 1/2 cups Meyer Lemon Tequila, 3/4 cup triple sec, and 1/2 cup Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup.
- Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Pour in 1 cup of the Margarita mixture. Shake about 15 seconds, then strain into 2 Margarita glasses.
- Garnish with a lemon twist if desired.
Recipe By Rick Bayless
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