Margarita Without Triple Sec
If you have no orange liqueur, you can still make a very good margarita. It is called a Tommy's Margarita, it was invented in San Francisco, and plenty of bartenders prefer it: tequila, lime and agave, with nothing in the way of the agave itself.
Photo: Roy Muriithi / Pexels
Ingredients
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz agave nectar
- Salt for the rim
- Ice
You will also need
Method
- Loosen the agave first. Stir it with a splash of warm water, half and half, or it will sit at the bottom of the shaker in a lump.
- Salt the rim of the glass.
- Shake the tequila, lime and loosened agave hard with ice for twelve seconds.
- Strain over fresh ice and add a lime wheel.
The one thing that matters
Agave rather than sugar syrup is the point. It is the same plant the tequila came from, so it agrees with the spirit in a way plain sugar does not.
Questions
Can you make a margarita without triple sec?
Yes. Use two ounces of tequila, one ounce of fresh lime and half an ounce of agave nectar. It is called a Tommy's Margarita and many bartenders prefer it because nothing gets between you and the agave.
What can I use instead of triple sec in a margarita?
Agave nectar is the best answer and makes a genuinely different, cleaner drink. Cointreau is the upgrade if you want orange back. At a push, a splash of orange juice with a little sugar works, but it is noticeably thinner.
Is Cointreau the same as triple sec?
Cointreau is a triple sec, and a very good one. Cheap triple sec is sweeter, lower in alcohol and less orange-forward. If a recipe just says triple sec, Cointreau will always improve it.