Mango margarita

It's that time of year: when so many people make an excuse to eat Mexican food and drink margaritas. But really, you'll want any excuse to enjoy this bright take on the classic - this mango margarita is easy, fruity and so good!

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I'm not sure why, but it has been a long while since I made a margarita. While I'm not a huge fan of sweet drinks, fruity takes on margaritas work for me if they are not too sweet, like this, my basil peach margarita and passion fruit margarita.

This mango margarita has no added sugar, just the natural sweetness of ripe mango and a little from the orange liqueur. But they work so well with the lime and tequila, and salt rim that you'll be happily sipping these on a warm, summer's day. 

Should you use fresh or frozen mango or mango juice in a mango margarita?

Here I have gone with fresh mango, but I would happily have used mango nectar (juice) if I had found it. I could only see huge bottles of mango nectar when I looked, the others were all mango smoothies where it is mixed with orange and possibly other fruits. Not that there is anything wrong with those, of course, I just prefer pure mango for this.

I know some recipes use frozen mango cubes for a frozen version, and there are some advantages. Frozen drinks can be super refreshing, like my frozen pineapple daiquiri. Plus, frozen mango is available year round.

However I often find frozen mango a bit lacking in flavor. It's great mixed in smoothies but it wouldn't be my go-to here.

My preference is fresh mango, but they have to be properly ripe to ensure they are relatively sweet and smooth. I prefer to use the small yellow mangoes as I tend to find they are more consistent in flavor, less likely to be stringy and just generally better flavor.

Depending where you live, you may have access to other local varieties - you are looking for it to be ripe, with a good aromatic flavor and not stringy.

If you can't get fresh or juice, I'd say tinned is a better option as it tends to have better flavor. However it is often in syrup, so personally I'd try to drain that off pretty well so not be overly sweet. But maybe that's just my taste.

Steps to make this fruity cocktail

• Blend chunks of ripe, fresh mango until smooth (or use mango nectar)
• Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and mix.
• Rub a slice of lime around the glass and put some salt on a plate.
• Dip the rim of the glass in the salt to give a salt rim.
• Add ice to the glass and fill up with the margarita.

It's really that easy! Plus it's the kind of drink that's easy to make both individually and in batches - you simple multiply everything up. Especially if you make a larger amount, I'd suggest putting the blender on again to help mix it all up properly.

Way to give this cocktail a twist

While this is a great basic recipe, there are many ways you can make slight adaptations to make it that little bit more interesting. For example:

• Use chili powder, or a blend of chili and salt, to rim the glass for a little kick of heat.
• Blend some herbs in to the puree - cilantro is the most obvious pairing - for a slightly fresher twist.
• Make it virgin by skipping the tequila and triple sec and adding some orange juice instead.
• Make it slightly smokey by swapping the tequila for mezcal. 

Whether you have it as written here, or change it up a little, this drink is perfect summer sipping. Fruity, but not too sweet, with enough of a kick but not so much it feels all alcohol. It's perfect for a Cinco de Mayo party, lazy night in or whatever excuse you want to find.

Try these other fruity cocktails:

• Spicy watermelon margarita
• Grilled peach mojito
• Blackberry margarita
• Strawberry collins
• Plus get more ideas in the cocktail recipes archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.  In many locations, you can have wine, spirits and more delivered to your door with Drizly.

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