In this verdant green cocktail, a margarita takes a stroll to the garden, and comes back greener, fresher, and a little spicier.
Cilantro and ginger root get in the blender with margarita elements - lime, tequila and sugar - to create a lively emerald cocktail. Herbaceous and citrusy, with that sweet, vegetal tequila note, it’s a fresher, more floral margarita.
My recipe started as a healthy, post-run, Sunday morning smoothie - the lime, cilantro, ginger, thing; I had an apple in there. This was pretty delicious: icy cold with little taste arrows pointing in all directions - sharp citrus, spicy ginger, peppery cilantro. Even the palm sugar owned a solid piece of the taste real estate. My husband and I took one sip and said, almost in unison, “This is amazing; it needs tequila.”
Sometimes good health is served in a smoothie, and sometimes it arrives in a cocktail. There were many served the very, very healthy night a bunch of friends all made tamales. To be posted soon.
Cilantro Ginger Margarita
makes approximately 4 drinks
juice of 4 limes
3/4 inch chunk of ginger root chopped loosely
1/2 bunch of cilantro
2 tablespoons palm sugar or honey (or more to taste)
1 1/2 cups sparkling water
3/4 cup tequila (more or less to taste)
Instructions
Mix in a blender lime juice, ginger, cilantro, and 1 cup sparkling water. Whirr until all is mixed well. Pour mixture through a strainer and discard solids.
To this mix add another 1/2 cup sparkling water and the tequila. Pour over ice in a shaker, shake hard, and strain into a glass.
Or, mix again in a blender with some ice cubes and serve in a glass.
To rim the glasses:
Set out two plates, one with a bit of palm sugar or honey on it, the other with sea salt. Run the rim of the preferably chilled glasses first in the sugar, and then in the salt.
