Let’s be honest, not every tequila adventure is a roaring success … even in Mexico. Case in point: my initial attempt at a papaya margarita in Puerto Vallarta. While vacationing with fab friends Heather and Jim Felt, surrounded by the windshield of their Mexican paradise, I confidently stepped up to the margarita challenge. Papaya was my first victim, and despite my best efforts, it simply refused to cooperate. Let’s just say the results were… less than stellar. Thankfully, the mangoes proved more forgiving. After a few rounds of experimentation and a crucial “back to the drawing board” from Jim, my tequila-wise friend, I finally created a mango margarita worthy of a “Salud!” It’s a reminder that even tequila missteps can lead to a delicious discovery, especially when shared with good friends.
Recipe:
I use a 2-1-1 default tweaked at the end with orange liqueur and simple syrup/agave. Since we were in mexico, I used Controy (an orange liqueur in the triple sec style sold in Mexico). Back home on the ranch I use Cointreau. One could use most any triple sec (triple sec and Cointreau are not the same thing. They are both orange liqueurs but triple sec is a category of liqueurs, while Cointreau and its competitor Grand Marnier are brands of triple sec. ¿Comprende?). As well, i tend to use Cointreau for my mango margarita because it is less sweet than Grand Marnier and provides just the right amount of orange taste to enhance the mango.
I chunked up a mango and more because there would likely be seconds if the margarita was any good. Into a blender they go for the puree. Either way your goal is to make one ounce of mango puree per planned margarita.
TIP: I don’t measure ounces, I measure using a mexican shot glass for 2-1-1.
Also, I typically do not use just limes in preparing my margaritas. mostly because limes in the US are typically not true
2 shots of tequila
1 shot of mango puree
1 shot of lemon/lime juice
1/2 shot of Cointreau
1/4 – 1/2 shot of simple syrup or agave (agave diluted to 1:1 with water to equal simple syrup)
NOTE: the choice between using simple syrup or agave syrup here is based upon your mangoes. Agave syrup has a more neutral flavor which means that your mango margarita will be more full of the mango flavor when you are using ripe mangoes. if your mangoes aren’t quite ripe, then i suggest you use simple syrup because it will add just a hint of sweetness that is missing in a less than fully ripe mango.
