The Most Delicious Cadillac Margarita Recipe

Searching for the Perfect Margarita

I make a great Cadillac Margarita. I am not sure if you could call it the perfect margarita but it is right up there and very delicious! 

Our family and friends get really excited when I make up a batch of Reneearitas (as a few of them call it).

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Who Wants Cocktail Lessons?

I recently taught a virtual class of ladies who don’t make cocktails how to make a Cadillac Margarita. 

In advance, I sent them all a photo of my ingredients and I purposely tried to buy items they could easily find in their local grocery or liquor store. 

After I sent my list to them I got asked to clarify some of the items. I forgot these ladies had no idea what some of these things were. It would be like sending me into a fishing store to buy items to go fishing without good details.

After a few questions, it looked like everyone was on the same page knowing the ingredients they needed to make a Cadillac Margarita. 

When the class started I asked everyone if they had everything they needed. They thought so.

One of the ladies couldn’t find simple syrup but found agave syrup. She hoped that was ok.  Normally, I would have used that, but I decided to have them buy simple syrup because it would be easier to find.  

Another one told us how she had to go to four stores to find all of the items on my Cadillac Margarita list. 

Is Your Recipe List Complete?

Soon after we began the lesson I realized that my recipe list to them wasn’t complete. I didn’t tell them they needed a shot glass or ice. For us frequent cocktail makers those items are always on hand. 

Once they had all of their items ready we started mixing. I showed them how to pour a shot by measure accurately and spoke a little about why I used these spirits.

When it was time for the lime juice, one of our ladies informed all of us that if we warm the lime for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave the lime juice will be easier to squeeze out. 

I tried it and it worked! One tip I would say is to make sure to wait about 30 seconds after the lime is out of the microwave to squeeze it so you don’t get burned.

In hindsight for the limes, I should have asked them to get real lime juice in a squeeze bottle to make it easier for them. That is always a good choice when you are first starting out.

Time to Drink Your Cadillac Margarita

Once the Cadillac Margarita was made it was time for the taste test. I tried mine and it was delicious (since this was my recipe I was pretty sure of the taste). 

I could tell by the look on one of the ladies’ faces that she thought it was quite strong. We later found out that she didn’t have a shot glass or ice and was just winging it. That got a chuckle from everyone. 

Another classmate had to take a couple of tastes and then she took it in to give her husband a taste. I don’t think he liked it very much but when she came back to us she said she liked it. 

During the rest of the class, a few of us sipped our Cadillac Margarita until it was gone. It was 5 O’Clock somewhere after all!!

Tips For a Great Cadillac Margarita Recipe

For my recipe, I like to use fresh lime juice and either simple syrup or agave nectar (syrup) instead of a sweet and sour mix as the ingredients are cleaner. 

Find the Right Margarita Mix

If you are making multiple pitchers of this for your group you can use a margarita mix but be careful when choosing your mix to find the one that doesn’t have the tequila already in it. (I made that mistake before and boy were our drinks strong!

My easiest go-to margarita mix is the Jose Cuervo Original Margarita mix. I like this mix because it isn’t too bitter or sour. 

Which Tequila is Best?

My tequila preference is Reposado Tequila (in this case I used 1800 Reposado Tequila). I like using Reposado because it seems to give my Cadillac Margarita a smoother taste. It does need to be said that I like to use Don Julio sometimes as well but some people don’t like to use top-shelf tequila for mixing. 

What is Grand Marnier Liqueur?

Grand Marnier is a Cognac liqueur with notes of toffee and vanilla. You can sip it on its own, that is how delicious it is and there are quite a variety of recipes with Grand Marnier in it. 

I always use Grand Marnier for my Cadillac Margarita. For me, there is no substitute. I know this item isn’t very cheap but it is worth the money and it lasts a long time. 

My Recipe

• 1 ½ oz 1800 ReposadoTequila
• 1 oz Grand Marnier (separated in half)
• 1 ½ oz Fresh Lime Juice 
• ½ oz Simple Syrup or Agave Necter (syrup)
• Ice
• Lime wedge

If you don’t want to use fresh lime juice and simple syrup look below

•  2 ½ oz Margarita Mix 

Shake ingredients (not including ½ ounce of Grand Marnier) in a shaker or cup with a lid. Then prepare your margarita glass by rubbing a small amount of lime juice on about half of the glass and dip into margarita salt.  Next, you put fresh ice into your margarita glass. Pour your shaken concoction over the ice being careful not to let the ice you used to mix it get in the margarita glass. Now you will drizzle the remaining ½ ounce of Grand Marnier on top. Garnish your glass with a lime slice and enjoy!!

Cocktail Classes Yes or No?

It was brought to my attention that some people would like to do a class or two on cocktail making. I am curious, what do you think?

Would it be fun to have a Happy Hour once a month (or more often) to be part of a live virtual class to make some different or new cocktails with NextCocktails.com?