Drink recipe · 1 cocktail
Margarita
Researched · Established classic specification
IBA-aligned Margarita: 50 ml 100% agave tequila, 20 ml triple sec, 15 ml fresh lime—shaken, optional half salt rim, with source attribution.
By DrinkKnird · November 4, 2026
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A Margarita stays clear when the lime is fresh, the tequila is 100% agave, and the triple sec stays in balance instead of turning the drink into a sugar bomb. DrinkKnird follows the International Bartenders Association Contemporary Classics specification: 50 ml tequila, 20 ml triple sec, and 15 ml freshly squeezed lime juice.
Shake hard with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. A half salt rim is optional; it frames the sour edge without coating every sip. This is a researched classic specification for home use—not a claim of kitchen testing or a house riff in disguise.
- Spirit
- tequila
- Glass
- cocktail glass or coupe
- Garnish
- optional half salt rim; lime wheel or wedge
- Alcohol
- alcoholic
Contains alcohol. Intended for adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
Recipe
Drink recipe
Yield: 1 cocktail
Original yield: 1 cocktail
Scales ingredient amounts only. Temperatures, times, ratios, and instruction text stay as written. Saved and printed copies keep the original recipe amounts.
Ingredients
- 1⅔ ounces (50 ml) tequila, 100% agave
- ⅔ ounce (20 ml) triple sec
- ½ ounce (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice for shaking
- Optional: kosher salt for a half rim; lime wheel or wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass or coupe. If using salt, moisten half the outer rim with lime and dip lightly in salt; leave the other half clean.
- Add tequila, triple sec, and fresh lime juice to a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake hard until the shaker is very cold—about 12–15 seconds.
- Strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a thin lime wheel or wedge if you like. Serve immediately.
Make-ahead
- Pre-mix the three liquids in a sealed bottle and refrigerate up to a day. Shake individual servings with ice just before pouring.
Notes
- Timing is a research-based estimate for a single shaken cocktail.
- Use freshly squeezed lime; bottled juice dulls the drink.
- 100% agave tequila keeps the IBA profile; mixto tequila changes the finish.
- Triple sec sweetness varies by brand—taste before adding more sweetener.
- Common mistake: skipping the shake. This sour needs dilution and chill from hard shaking.
- Batching: combine tequila, triple sec, and lime in a bottle and keep cold; shake each serving with ice so dilution stays consistent.
Why this recipe works
The IBA ratio keeps agave heat, orange liqueur, and lime acid in a documented Contemporary Classics balance. Shaking with ice chills and dilutes without turning the drink watery.
Recipe sources & development
Established classic specification
Margarita aligned to the IBA Contemporary Classics specification, with home-bar technique notes drawn from that standard.
Why this formulation: 50/20/15 ml keeps tequila, triple sec, and lime in the documented IBA balance; shaking preserves a cold, bright texture.
Other approaches: Some bars use agave syrup, different orange liqueurs, or frozen blends. Those are house styles; this page follows the IBA shaken build.
Adaptation credit: International Bartenders Association Official Cocktail specification
Developed from published sources; not yet kitchen-tested by DrinkKnird.
- Margarita — IBA Official Cocktail — International Bartenders Association · researched 2026-11-04
50 ml tequila 100% agave, 20 ml triple sec, 15 ml freshly squeezed lime juice; shake and strain; optional half salt rim
- IBA Cocktails — International Bartenders Association · researched 2026-11-04
Official IBA cocktail index listing Margarita among Contemporary Classics
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