The Makings of a Margarita of the Year Contender

Built on the simplicity of a few great ingredients, the margarita has become a happy hour icon. Our contenders for Margarita of the Year added their own ingredient flavor twist in hopes of becoming your new favorite way to take your tequila. Get to know the key players in the seven new margaritas and their backstory to decide which margarita will become your favorite. 

The Coralina Margarita – Mexican Red Wine & Hibiscus

Mexico grows grapes naturally, but not of the wine-making variety. The wine produced in Mexico actually comes from Spanish grapes that were brought over by conquistadors in the 16 ^th century and was produced by monasteries and haciendas, which makes this margarita as authentic as they come. 

The Tiki Rita – Grapefruit & Tiki Spices

Tiki culture was started over 80 years ago by Don the Beachcomber when he brought tropical influences from the south pacific to the United States. Don incorporated native island spices like vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg into all of his drinks to complement the island theme and base liquors used at his bar, which after tasting this margarita, should definitely include tequila.

The High Plains Margarita – Charred Pineapple & Sage

There’s a touch of magic in this drink as sage has been used since ancient times for warding off everything, from evil to snakebites. Its scientific name was derived from the Latin word, salvere, which means “to be saved”, or in the case of this margarita, to be savored. Putting this herb in your shaker isn’t going to give you magical powers, but it does make this modern margarita just a little bit more enchanting.

The Pacific Rim Margarita – Coconut & Jalapeño

Coconuts are the overachievers of tropical produce. They are versatile in their many uses, incredibly flavorful and healthy, and are completely self-contained. The coconut flavor we’ve come to love is found in many different products: coconut water, coconut milk, coconut flesh, and infused in the syrup of this smashing margarita.

The Mumbai Margarita – Mango & Indian Spices

Indian spices are the reason global trade exists and India has long been the heaviest exporter of high-quality varieties including chili, cumin, pepper and turmeric. Because of the knowledge and expertise in India when it comes to these goods, it only makes sense that their cuisine – and now this inspired margarita – utilizes the signature heat felt around the world.

The Tropicante Margarita – Mango & Fresh Avocado

Our love of avocados is not a new thing; evidence has been found that humans have been consuming avocados for almost 10,000 years. Although we’ve been avo-crazed for a while now, they weren’t officially named avocados until 1696. Until that point, they were called everything from Ahuacate to the Alligator Pear – and “simply amazing” when mixed with mango in this unique and tasty margarita.

The English Garden Margarita – Green Peas & Earl Grey tea

The widely-accepted story of Earl Grey tea’s origin is that it was a specially blended black tea with bergamot oil that was gifted Lord Grey in the 1830’s. It became so popular amongst the people entertained at the Grey manor that it was branded and sold beyond the royal family. In modern times, Earl Grey tea is synonymous with posh lifestyles, and now, dazzling margaritas.