The Margarita is a classic for a reason! Just three ingredients—tequila, orange liqueur, watermelon margarita recipe lime juice.

Classic Margarita The Margarita is a classic for a reason! Garrett has been writing about food and sharing recipes for 15 years. He is the author of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese. The classic margarita has a nobility that’s expressed by its simplicity—tequila, orange liqueur for sweetness, and tart lime juice. Just three ingredients, harmoniously combined and perfectly balanced. This is a cocktail recipe that you should memorize since it’s so easy to whip up at impromptu dinner parties, summer BBQs, or when you need a reminder of sunshine in the middle of winter. What’s the Best Tequila for Margaritas?

I highly recommend using only good-quality tequila to make your margaritas. With only three ingredients in the cocktail, a bad tequila will result in an equally bad margarita. Cheap tequilas are often cut with alcohol made from corn or sugar cane, resulting in a tequila that tastes flat and burns on the way down. Want to learn more about tequila?

Check out our comprehensive Tequila Guide! In addition, good-quality tequila is aged in oak barrels for 2 to 12 months, which gives it nuanced flavors. 2 months, reposado for 2 to 11 months, and añejo for 12 or more months. You can serve this cocktail with salt, or not. That part is up to you! Having aged longer in oak barrels these tequilas are darker in color and display more complex flavors and aromas.

Using them in a margarita can be an eye-opening experience. Swap out tequila for mezcal, tequila’s smokier, wilder-in-flavor cousin. Add a few slices of jalapeno to the cocktail shaker to add a bit of heat. Swap out the orange liqueur for pineapple juice. Pour some kosher salt into a wide bowl or small dish. Take a wedge of lime and generously rub it around the rim of your glass. Dip the rim into the salt.