The "Skinny" Margarita

In the past year or so, we have seen so called "Skinny" Margaritas showing up in all sorts of restaurants from tapas bars, taquerias, or any place serving any food remotely Tex-Mex. But, as overheard in a restaurant the other night, "What makes it skinny?" The answer is not what you think. Is it magically lower in calories? Well, only by the amount of calories that is in pre-made sour mixes. Skinny Margaritas are quite simply ... MARGARITAS. Albeit, they are made from fresh ingredients, but in this day of year round fresh produce and magical devices that make juicing a breeze, there is no reason for a Margarita to ever be made from a mix. Ironically, the price for "Skinny" Margaritas is sometimes double that of a house Margarita despite using the same Tequila.

So what is a "Skinny Margarita?" Based on the ingredient list from multiple restaurants, it is a mixture of Tequila, fresh lime juice and Agave Syrup. Proportions? Well, there you get a wide range of opinions. We, here at Serious Amateurs, have tried multiple ratios in the ever present search for the perfect balance. We enjoy Darcy O'Neil's 4221 recipe:

• 2 oz Tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Agave Nectar

You might also like Gary Regan's recipe:

• 1 1/2 oz Tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice

Or Dale Degroff's:

• 1 1/2 oz Tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Note that these recipes balance well when served on the rocks. We are still testing ratios that won't be watered down for frozen Margaritas.