"Choose your tequila carefully"
By Trish Bales
This summer we were invited to spend a glorious week on a private island in the middle of Moosehead Lake in
Northern Maine. The 1903 cabin was perfectly set on its own wooded island surrounded by the sounds of loons
and fragrant pine trees.
Before we actually arrived at the cabin I was informed that the house drink on Snake Island was the
Manhattan. I'd had Manhattans before but I couldn't tell you how they were made or even what was in them,
just that the name sounded very vintage and sophisticated to me. They were delicious and went well with
the peaceful surroundings of the lake. There's something to be said about combining our visual senses
with our tasting senses. By the end of the week however I was ready for something different, something
more familiar. I broke out the tequila and introduced the Mexican Martini to Northern Maine.
Our hosts had never heard of a Mexican Martini or any other kind of martini other than the traditional
one made with gin. With Martini bars opening up all over the country, the popularity and variety of
martinis keeps growing. I am pretty sure, though, that Mexican Martinis are a Texas concoction and
maybe even an Austin invention.
Many of the finest Tex-Mex restaurants are serving up this delicious variation on the traditional martini
and the traditional margarita, and it is slowly working its way into private homes as a Signature House
Drink. Currently, a competition seems to be underway in my circle of friends as to the creation and
serving of the best Mexican Martini.
Developing your own Signature House Drink makes guests feel special, and they will begin to look
forward to and even count on that certain drink recipe you've perfected. It also adds a unique
twist to your entertaining skills and impresses new guests and long-time friends alike.
When making a Mexican Martini, choose your tequila carefully. There are many brands and colors of
tequila these days, and they all vary in flavor and quality. Find the one you like best, or get one
bottle of white (clear) tequila and one bottle of gold (amber) tequila and keep them on hand. My
favorite tequila is Sauza Hornitos Tequila. It's a super premium 100% Blue Agave Resposado (resting)
Tequila which does its resting in American oak containers for up to 6 months before being bottled.
It's a pale, straw-colored, mellow tequila with a hint of fresh peppermint, and it makes a fine Mexican
Martini. It's also more affordable than other 100 percent blue agave tequilas on the market.
When purchasing the other ingredients for your Signature House Drink, be choosy again. Try not to
purchase ingredients that contain loads of sugar. Your guests will feel sick from the sugar before
they even finish the drink.
Below is the recipe that's been circulating among my friends for a number of years now. Each
household tries to improve on this basic recipe, but I like it just as it is. Of course,
successful preparation of this martini will be more likely with the use of a good cocktail
shaker and, as with all martinis, the Mexican Martini must be served in traditional style
martini glasses with skewered fresh, plump olives. Fancy martini olives can be found in
gourmet shops and liquor stores along with stainless steel cocktail skewers; how
toothpicks are just fine for skewering.
The splash of carbonated soda in the recipe below helps to take off the edge, counteracts the tartness,
and makes the drink a bit smoother. Pouring in a bit of the olive juice from the jar makes
it "dirty", a common martini term, and imparts a little salty flavoring. It doesn't
matter if you use gold or white tequila in this recipe, and the fresher the orange juice the
better the drink.
This recipe will fill 2-3 martini glasses.
Mexican Martini
- 2 to 3 ounces tequila
- 1 ounce Cointreau
- ½ ounce orange juice (pulp free)
- splash of 7-Up or Sprite
- Sweet & Sour mix (approximately 8 ounces)
- squeeze of fresh lime juice
- dash of juice from the olive jar
- skewered cocktail olives
Fill a 16-ounce cocktail shaker halfway with ice and add the first four ingredients. Fill the shaker the rest of the way with Sweet & Sour mix (if not using a cocktail shaker, add approximately 8 ounces). Shake until contents are mixed and chilled. Strain into martini glasses, and serve with skewered olives.
So get out your bartender's apron and start polishing the glasses.
Recipe from our article
Tasting Away In Margaritaville
Margaritini (combination Margarita & Martini)
- 2 oz. El Tesoro silver tequila
- 1 oz. Cointreau
- Splash of Margarita Mix
- Fresh lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a Martini glass.
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