When done well, Mexico’s most famous cocktail balances the four primary categories of taste. This longer twist on the classic drink includes Cointreau and Fever-Tree soda. A crisp lime wedge serves up a sour tang. Finally, good-quality tequila brings bitterness to complete the experience.–Fever Tree
Long Margarita FAQs
Yuzu is a citrus fruit that’s grown in Japan, Korea, and China. It’s super fragrant, but also extremely sour, making it next to impossible to eat as-is, like an orange. The juice extracted from the fruit and the zest from the peel are used to flavor food and drinks.
The good news for those of us with several bottles of semi-full liqueurs waiting for us in the cabinet is that assuming everything’s been stored properly, the shelf-life of a bottle of orange liqueur is indefinite, even after it has been opened. There may be a slight degradation of quality after a few years, but it’s still safe to drink.
Long Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 generous tablespoons good-quality tequila
- 1 tablespoon Cointreau (or substitute Grand Marnier)
- Fever-Tree Lime Yuzu Soda (or substitute your favorite lime soda), to top up
- Lime wedge, to garnish
Instructions
- Pour the tequila into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Add the Cointreau. Top up with the soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Notes
Margarita with a Twist Variation
For a spicy take on the above recipe, combine 2 teaspoons sea salt and 1 teaspoon chile flakes on a small plate. Rub the rim of a highball glass with a lime wedge and coat the rim of the glass in the spicy salt. Pour the tequila, Cointreau, and 2 teaspoons each agave syrup and lime juice into an empty cocktail shaker. Add plenty of ice cubes and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Pour the contents of the shaker into your prepared glass. Top up with the soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
What a refreshing recipe! I don’t drink margaritas very often because they are often too sweet for me. This recipe didn’t have the sweet mix so it looked like it would be right up my alley. I made two and used one bottle of Fever-Tree for two drinks. It was good but I felt it needed a bit more citrus. I added the juice from half a key lime and that was a great addition. So good I needed to have a second one!
I love a good margarita and am always willing to try out a new recipe. I thought this was a delicious margarita; in the spirit of disclosure, I will tell you that I doubled the amount (because that didn’t seem like nearly enough) and used half a bottle of the soda to top it off. It was fabulous! I plan to make them tonight again and will reduce the amount of agave syrup by half (my personal preference is for a less sweet drink); I would recommend starting with less agave—you can always add more. The Fever-Tree brand is key here because it is such a high-quality product that is never too sweet or cloying. I went big and used Casamigos tequila and Cointreau. For the rim, I used Tajin margarita salt.
Both the original version of this long margarita and the version with a twist are so refreshing! I made both versions at the same time as one bottle of soda was enough for two drinks.
My husband and I both preferred the long margarita with a twist; the agave gave a pleasant sweetness but nothing like prepared margarita mixers. The addition of lime juice in the “twist” is a must in my opinion for any margarita. These ingredients are in most folk’s liquor cabinets and can be whipped up literally in minutes. Such a clean refreshing drink without fake flavorings.
This is a very simple way to make a refreshing, light drink that’s like a gin and tonic, but with the flavors of a margarita. With just 3 ingredients, you can have something that will keep you company as you set up your taco bar on your patio on a warm summer day. This is great with a rim made of salt and Tajin. I served this with some fish tacos made with breaded, oven-fried cod with a chipotle marinade. Delicious!
After a particularly long winters’ day where school was called off for weather and all three of my kiddos were at each other’s throats after being cooped up in the house together for hours, this drink was the escape I needed!
After my first sip of this long margarita, I looked at my husband and told him it tasted like a vacation. I allowed him a few sips and he agreed that it was like enjoying a refreshing drink while on the beach in Mexico. I am very particular about my alcoholic beverages, anything with syrup or too much sugar gives me a headache. Anything with enough alcohol to overpower a drink is too much alcohol for me. This makes ordering drinks while dining out nearly impossible, so I usually savor a beverage at home if I’m planning to have a drink.
What I enjoyed about this margarita is that it was the perfect blend for me. This might sound odd, but I delighted in the whiff of lime that came before each sip. I used Sprite. I would also like to give the Long Margarita with a Twist a try sometime. Although this was more of a nightcap for me, I would recommend serving it with chips and guacamole for an at-home happy hour!
This long margarita recipe was delicious! I love making cocktails and experimenting with new cocktail recipes. I was drawn to this recipe because of the all-natural ingredients like agave nectar and fresh lime juice. This was a very tasty margarita recipe. In my opinion, agave syrup makes the best margaritas. The chile sea salt rim was a lovely balance to the agave nectar. I used Herradura reposado tequila instead of Patron because it is one of my favorites. Overall it was a well-balanced margarita with the bright fresh lime juice, sweet Grand Marnier and agave syrup, smoky chile rim, and a bit of bitterness from the tequila. I would definitely make this again!
I made the long margarita with a twist variation. This margarita recipe is now the gold standard at my house! It is easy to make, tastes like it came from a fantastic restaurant bar, and looks very impressive with the salt and chile flake rim. The Fever-Tree soda added the perfect amount of sweetness and complemented the tequila. I will be serving this margarita every time I make Mexican food.
This recipe made a very small quantity allowing for more soda to fill the glass to limit the strength of the drink. For my second round I doubled the ingredients and used less soda, allowing for a more boozy drink.
This margarita was really tasty. If you’re looking for a refreshing version of a margarita that isn’t strong in alcohol then I would recommend this drink. I used a local brewery’s sparkling lime water and it was really good!
