Name: Margarita (straight-up)
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Blanco tequila; 22.5 ml Triple sec; 22.5 ml Lime juice; 5 ml Agave syrup; 4 drop Margarita Bitters

Margarita (straight-up)
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Glass:

Photographed in an Urban Bar Alto Coupe 18cl

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz	Patrón Silver blanco tequila
³⁄₄ fl oz	Cointreau L'Unique triple sec liqueur
³⁄₄ fl oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₆ fl oz	Agave syrup (agave nectar)
4 drop	Difford's Margarita Bitters optional

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Optionally, RIM glass with salt (moisten outside edge with lime or orange juice and dip into salt).
Prepare garnish of lime wedge.

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

Garnish with lime wedge on rim.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Margarita (straight-up) lifestyle thumbnail

Review:

If desired, for the perfect salt rim you can liquidise or grind sea salt to make it finer, then run a cut slice of lime (or orange) around the outside edge of the glass rim before dipping the outside of the rim into salt. (Only salt the outside of the glass to avoid contaminating the drink.)

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Variations/similar cocktails:

Margaritas made with premium tequilas are sometimes referred to as 'Deluxe' or 'Cadillac' Margaritas.
Margarita on-the-rocks (Difford's recipe)
Improved Trashy Margarita
Margarita (frozen)
50:50 Margarita
Mezcal Margarita

History:

See: Margarita cocktail history

Nutrition:

One serving of Margarita (straight-up) contains 167 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
20.91% alc./vol. (41.81° proof)
21.3 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 16 comments for Margarita (straight-up).
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Chris Dimal

5th May at 07:07

Another delightful variation. A little less complex than my favourite, the Christine Wiseman recipe, but much more approachable for people less amenable to agave flavour. The Triple Sec comes through so much more.

Christopher Jameson

19th April at 15:32

I always drink mine with a side of salted peanuts. KP of coarse!

Florian Ruf

30th September 2025 at 13:46

Today I opened a bottle Cazadores blanco, which should be additive free and makes this cocktail, which I already did several times before, really special. Being no friend of the salty, spicy glass rims, I used 4 drops of saline solution instead. Peychauds may be only a replacement (sorry to Brexit) but works. Next time in UK I will try to get hold of a bottle of Simon`s Margarita bitters.

Michael Click

23rd December 2024 at 06:37

I really back adding the Difford's Margarita Bitters if you can source them. The woody and floral notes really complement agave spirits. I added 8 drops and the subtle orange backdrop from the Cointreau is not lost. Next time, I may try a full dash from the dropper and see what effect that has. I prefer my Margaritas straight up because I drink them too quickly for ice to matter but on-the-rocks makes for a more sessionable drink. I can't wait to try these bitters with a mezcal version!

I D

18th September 2024 at 16:27

Instead of just salt, try a rim with tajin (dried chilli peppers, sea salt, citric acid & dehydrated lime juice)

Simon Sedgley

19th December 2024 at 13:44

Yes, we have a local small business that makes a chilli and lime salt for cocktails. Perfect for this excellent straight up Margarita.

Simon Difford

18th September 2024 at 18:11

Tajin is delicious.

Ryan Harrold

10th September 2024 at 13:08

Just like a Daiquiri, a Margarita is a cocktail that I’ve had multiple times that’s both simple and great, with a Margarita being both sweet and tart, which this time I used 1800 Blanco Tequila and the Margarita was great like always

John CARR

31st August 2024 at 13:10

Having previously been known to say that, “margaritas are for people who don’t know what martinis are”, I must admit that, with quality ingredients and you this kind of spec, this is a proper and special drink. Herbal, savoury, sweet-sour and definitely moreish. I look forward to retrying in warmer weather!

Chris Dimal

29th January 2024 at 19:06

Alright, this is the winner. I managed to acquire a truly amazing additive free Tequila called the Cascahuin Blanco. Brick oven cooked, roller-milled and confirmed additive free. All of this to say that with it, you get a Margarita which hits the sweet spot, with vegetal minerality, orange fruitiness and lime sourness, rounded out by just enough agave syrup, still maintaining its 'Daisy' nature. My favourite take on a Margarita.

G. M. Genovese

1st April 2024 at 17:24

Chris, ever since I discovered Cascahuin Blanco, I want no other. I agree, this is the winner. This recipe is similar to my own, which is 50-25-20-5, plus some saline. There's something about that little bit of agave that just seals the deal. Salud!

1 reply

Mark Lambourne

3rd January 2024 at 16:50

Do you really do the lime wedge garnish with this? It’s not shown in the photo and it seems a little weird dropping that into a small shallow coupe glass.

Mark Lambourne

12th January 2024 at 18:02

Yeah thanks I realised afterwards that it belongs on the rim. :-) And that’s how you have it in the photo in the book.

Simon Difford

7th January 2024 at 09:11

A lime wedge is not essential but adds to appearance and allows the drinker to squeeze into the cocktail if they want to make it a tad sourer. It is usually placed on the time with a slot cut into the wedge.

Giulio Motta

24th October 2023 at 08:17

Tried this with Difford's bitters and I was surprised how well the other flavors blend with the lavender of the bitters. Great job!

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