Frontera Margarita

When summer rolls around I find that I am drawn to more fruity and cold drinks. This is a great and fairly simple margarita that I've been making for years, from the great Rick Bayless. It is great for parties too, because you can make the base ahead and just shake with ice at the last minute.

Margarita
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
zest of about 2 limes
1/4 cup sugar
10 oz water
3/4 cups taquila
1 oz orange liqueur such as Gran Marnier or triple sec (optional)
limes for garnish
course salt


Zest the limes and mix with the juice, you can add the pulp as it will all be strained out later.



In a pan mix the sugar and water and heat until the sugar dissolves, then mix with the lime juice. Place in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or over night.




Before serving, fill the glasses with ice water. This will help keep them cold longer.



In a shaker, fill with ice. Add the taquila and strain the lime syrup in. Shake well.



Dump the water from the glasses. To salt, rub the rim with lime then dunk in a plate with salt. Strain the margarita into glasses and garnish with lime wedge or wheel.

Dark and Stormy

No I am not talking about the crappy weather we have been having here in Chicago... A Dark and Stormy is what may be my new summer cocktail. It is a simple drink of ginger beer, rum and lime.

In my typical fashion, I decided to make my own ginger beer. (I looked into making my own rum, but the whole Still thing is a bit more than I want to take on.)

I found this seemingly simple recipe and went to work.

Homemade Ginger Beer
1 ounce ginger juice
2 ounces fresh lemon juice, finely strained
3 ounces simple syrup
10 ounces warm water
1/4 tsp yeast

To make the ginger juice, finely grate the ginger. As you won't be using the solids its not necessary to peel it. I had already, so tossed the peels in the simple syrup to make a ginger syrup.



With a cheese cloth, squeeze out the juice from the ginger.



Add all the ingredients to the bottle, give it a shake and let sit 48 on the counter. After which pop it in the refrigerator.




Now it's time for your Dark and Stormy.

Dark and Stormy
Ginger Beer
rum
lime

Fill a glass with ice and top with 1 - 2 oz rum, fill mostly with the ginger beer and squeeze in half a lime. Enjoy!