Margarita for a Crowd
Making margaritas one at a time for eight people is a miserable job. Batching it takes five minutes, tastes the same, and means you get to stand with everybody else instead of behind a shaker all night.
Photo: Roy Muriithi / Pexels
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.75L blanco tequila (about 59 oz)
- 24 oz orange liqueur
- 24 oz fresh lime juice, roughly 24 limes
- 12 oz water
- Kosher salt
- Lots of ice
You will also need
Method
- Work in a 1 gallon jug or a large pitcher. This makes about 24 drinks.
- Combine the tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice. Add the water. That water is doing the job the ice does in a shaker, and without it the drink is harsh.
- Chill the whole jug for at least four hours. A batch is never shaken, so it has to get cold in the fridge instead.
- Salt the rims when people arrive, not before, or they go damp.
- Pour over fresh ice, one glass at a time.
The one thing that matters
Add the water. Everybody forgets, and it is the single reason batched cocktails taste sharper and hotter than the same drink made in a shaker.
Questions
How do you make margaritas for a crowd?
Scale the classic 2:1:1 ratio up and add water. For 24 drinks use one 1.75L bottle of tequila, 24 oz orange liqueur, 24 oz fresh lime and 12 oz water. Chill for four hours, then pour over fresh ice.
How many margaritas does a 1.75L bottle make?
About 24, at the standard two ounce pour. A 750ml bottle makes roughly ten, so the big bottle is both cheaper per drink and enough for a party in one go.
Can you make margaritas the day before?
Yes, and they improve. Mix the tequila, liqueur, lime and water and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Leave out the ice and the salt until you serve.