Ingredients
- Lime wedge and salt for rim
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce agave
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lime wedge.
- With the salt on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the salt to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Variations and Substitutions
Although tequila has a few flavor options, nothing compares to the flavored vodka choices on any liquor store shelf. What does this mean for your vodka margarita? You can add just about any vodka flavor to your margarita: apple, berry, coconut, grapefruit, honey, lemon, mango vodka, melon, orange, pineapple, or pomegranate. This isn't an inclusive list, but it is a great place to start.
Using flavored vodka also leaves you free to muddle fresh fruits or add your ingredients to a blender, using fresh or frozen fruit, with extra ice to make a frozen vodka margarita. Another option? Using your own homemade infused vodka.
Garnishes
The vodka margarita follows in the footsteps of the classic margarita, using a salt rim and lime wedge for a garnish. However, using flavored vodka makes for a wide world of garnish options. Simply echo the flavor of vodka! If you choose strawberry vodka, add a strawberry garnish, and if you use a melon vodka, you can garnish with several pierced pieces of melon. You can also mix and match with different complementary garnishes. And if you like your margarita sweet or spicy, then a sugar or tajin rim makes for the perfect touch.
About the Vodka Margarita
Making your own infused vodka for a vodka margarita couldn't be easier, but it does take a little bit of time. It's important to always start with fresh, clean fruit. Start by using two cups of fruit. You can get creative here by combining two flavors, watermelon and lime or pineapple and orange, or stick to just a single fruit flavor. Add the peeled and cut-up fruit or whole berries to a large resealable jar or bottle. From there, add 750mL of vodka to the jars. Seal the containers and store them in a cool, dry place for approximately three to seven days. After the time has passed, simply strain the vodka and store it in a glass bottle or jar. You may discard the fruit or use the fruit immediately as a garnish or boozy snack.
A Margarita With Options
The vodka margarita might be the margarita with the most flavor freedom. Vodka clashes with very few things, and it's limited only by the flavor pairings available to the margarita. This is a margarita that truly lets you dream big.
