Cocktails

Here are 4 ways to make a luxe Grand Margarita cocktail

Read Time 5 Minutes

Posted 10 Oct 2023

By Vintage Cellars

Take your favourite tequila cocktail to the next level with a stylish Grand Marnier margarita, then make it your way with three epic twists.

With tequila trending and summer just around the corner, the margarita is shaping up to be hotter than ever. Want to take things up a notch? Try this classy Grand Margarita recipe. Made with premium reposado tequila, and swapping out triple sec liqueur for the decadent, bittersweet citrus burst of Grand Marnier, this golden concoction is wonderfully smooth and deliciously complex, with luxe hints of caramel and vanilla. Once you’ve tasted this Grand Marnier margarita – plus our simple flavour twists using creamy coconut, spicy chilli and ginger, and cooling cucumber and mint – there may be no going back.

How to make a Grand Margarita

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Ice cubes, to serve

80ml Espolon Tequila Reposado

40ml Grand Marnier

40ml lime juice

Lime wedges, to serve

Salt, to serve

Method

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the tequila, Grand Marnier and lime juice. Shake for 30 secs.

2. Sprinkle salt on a small plate. Run the cut side of the lime wedge around the rim of 2 serving glasses, then press into the salt to coat.

3. Strain the cocktail into the prepared glasses and garnish with lime wedges.

Make it your way: Coconut Margarita

Add 40ml coconut cream to the shaker in step 1 (see tip below)
Swap the salt for toasted desiccated coconut
Garnish with dried lime slices and toasted shaved coconut

Tip: For the best flavour and colour, use the coconut cream that rises to the top of canned coconut milk or cream. Chill the can in the fridge for 1 hour, then carefully open and spoon the firm coconut cream from the top of the can into a bowl.

Make it your way: Spicy Ginger Margarita

Peel and chop 20g ginger, then muddle in the shaker with the tequila, Grand Marnier and lime juice before adding ice and shaking to combine.
Mix dried chilli flakes into the salt flakes

Make it your way: Cucumber and mint margarita

Coarsely chop ½ Lebanese cucumber, then muddle in the shaker with 2 mint sprigs and the tequila, Grand Marnier and lime juice before adding ice and shaking to combine.
Garnish with extra Lebanese cucumber, shaved into ribbons, and extra mint sprigs

The Grand Margarita evolution

Premium spirits elevate the Grand Margarita, aka the Cadillac Margarita, to the top of its class. Emerging in the US in the 80s, its precise origins are unclear – some say it jumped the border from the legendary Cadillac Bar in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Regardless, it became wildly popular as a luxurious alternative to the run-of-the-mill taco joint margaritas made with cheap mixto tequila that proliferated at the time.

What you need for this Grand Marnier margarita recipe

While classic margaritas can be made with any tequila, the Grand Margarita demands reposado – or ‘rested’ – tequila, which has been aged in oak barrels for a smoother, more refined taste. Try Espolon Tequila Reposado, finalist in the tequila category at our 2023 Best Of Awards. Made with 100% blue agave, it’s full-bodied with a velvety mouthfeel and hints of vanilla, caramel and coffee leading to a long spicy finish. Adding a touch of intrigue, a hint of sweetness and marvellous depth of flavour to your Grand Margarita, Grand Marnier – a finalist in the Flavoured Liqueur category at our 2023 Best Of Awards – blends fine French cognac with bitter orange. If you’re a fan, try floating on top of your margarita for extra aroma.

Fresh limes are also essential, give them a roll to get the juices flowing before slicing open, and make sure to choose good quality salt flakes for the rim, or make your own flavoured salt with herbs, spices and citrus zest. And, if muddling one of our Grand Margarita twists, remember this isn’t a mojito – make sure to double or even triple strain the cocktail so you’re left with pure liquid in your glass.

More tequila cocktails and refreshing twists

If you like your cocktails with a caffeine kick, make sure to try a coffee margarita blended with Vivir Café VS – a finalist in the Coffee Liqueur category at the 2023 Best Of Awards. Prefer something fresh and fruity for your next gathering? Add a refreshing garden cooler, basil and strawberry margarita or watermelon tequila-politan (part margarita and part cosmo) to your tequila cocktail repertoire.

Products featured are available from 11/10/23 to 14/11/23, while stocks last. Some products or varieties featured may not be available in all stores.